The Downfall of Greed
by tcarlson
Summary: *NOTE RATING CHANGE* Lucius is charged with breaking Hermione Granger so the Dark Lord can do with her as he wishes. When it comes time to give Hermione over, Lucius's greed gets the better of him.
1. Prologue: How did I get here?

I got greedy, which isn't very surprising seeing as that I am a Malfoy. The head of the Malfoy family none-the-less. But the greed isn't what bothers me. Us Malfoys are known for our greed. What's wrong with getting what we want? When you're filthy rich and at the top of the social ladder, you get used to taking anything you desire. And Merlin I desired her.

What bothers me is that I, Lucius Malfoy, lost control. If Malfoy's are known for anything (besides the whole greed and money bit), it is our control. I was raised to master it, to always be cool. Stoic. And she broke through my stony exterior. First, I lost my patience with her, then I lost my temper with her, and finally I lost my control with her. One insignificant girl broke through walls I worked my whole life to build.

It wasn't like that. At first.

It was just supposed to be another assignment from my Lord. An easy one at that. There should have been no complications. I was to break her and return her to the Dark Lord to do with as he wished.

I was known as a master of breaking prisoners. She shouldn't have posed a problem. She just a girl, way beneath me and my powers. Something went wrong.

When the deadline drew near, I didn't want to hand her over to my master. Like I said, I got greedy. I had spent enough time with her to know that I didn't want to part with her. There was so much left to explore. So much I didn't want to lose.

What was it about her that made me risk my very life? I won't say it was love. Malfoys only love money and power. But it was something more than just lust. Something along the lines of respect. Which may be as close to love as a Malfoy will ever get to a human. Maybe respect was the Malfoy definition of love.

I still can't totally comprehend the series of events that brings me to the present. Hermione Granger, mudblood best friend to Harry Potter and a sworn enemy to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, somehow managed to screw up my entire life.


	2. Chp 1: How I Aquired Her

My left forearm burned. It was a most inconvenient time, but one does not question the Dark Lord's summons. I quickly ended the meeting I was leading and headed out to the main hall of the Ministry of Magic. It was the middle of the day. What possibly could the Dark Lord want?

Once outside, I turned into an ally off to the side and pulled my Death Eater mask out of my robes. I am always prepared for a summons. One doesn't climb to the top of Lord Voldemort's ranks without rushing to him when called, and the delay of Apparating home to get the mask adds too much time. Cautiously, I made sure no one was paying me any attention, slipped on my mask, and Apparated.

I landed in the foyer of a rather nice manor. A manor that I had purchased for the Dark Lord's use. I couldn't allow meetings at my own manor anymore. Potter had some of the Ministry staff suspicious of my participation in Death Eater activities. I couldn't have Aurors make a surprise visit when I am possibly hosting a Death Eater meeting. I have a reputation to uphold. A reputation as an upstanding, law-abiding citizen. For some reason I didn't think any amount of money could get me out of getting caught red-handed by Aurors with a bunch of Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort in my living room. It would be hard to explain.

High-pitched laughter came from down the hall in the library. Bellatrix. If Bellatrix was happy, it meant someone else was definitely not. I've only seen her even crack a smile when she was torturing a helpless soul physically or mentally. By the scream that followed, it seemed like physical torture was on the menu tonight.

I hesitated at the library door, taking in the scene. The Dark Lord was facing me in a high-back leather chair, enjoying the sight in front of him. Bellatrix's back was to me, arm raised to throw the next curse at the bloodied hunk of flesh screaming at her feet. I could barely make out a female figure, but that was about it. Bellatrix had done a good job.

The Dark Lord met my eyes and stopped Bellatrix with a wave of his hand. The girl whimpered at Bellatrix's feet, breathing heavily. I stepped into the room, pulling off my mask as it seemed to be an intimate party and not a full meeting. Bellatrix whirled around, sensing movement behind her. She always had been a little paranoid since Azkaban.

"Who's that?" a voice behind me asked. I snapped my head around. It was just Severus. My, my I was getting as jumpy as Bellatrix, but Severus could glide across any floor as silent as a snake. No surprise I didn't hear him come up behind me.

"Lucius! Severus! Come meet my new toy," Bellatrix crooned.

"I said you could play with her, Bella, not keep her," Voldemort hissed. Bellatrix pouted. Severus stepped around me to kneel by the simpering pile of rags and blood.

"Are those Hogwart's robes?" he asked.

"Yes! Yes! Guess who!" She didn't give us time to guess. She was too excited. "It's the Mudblood Hermione Granger!"

"However did you find her?" I asked. My interest was piqued. We hadn't been able to get close to any of the "golden trio" for months. They had been traveling about, apparently completing a task for the late Dumbledore. We had tracked their position once or twice, but Potter, Weasley, and Granger had disappeared by the time we arrived.

"Pure dumb luck!" Bellatrix cackled. "They ended up camping in some woods near my house. Their silly little spells were no match for the detection spells Rodolphus had up for our protection. Our alarms went off and I went to investigate. This one distracted me while the other two ran off. She may be book smart, but she is no match for me at dueling! I defeated her easily and brought her straight here so my Lord may rejoice in this development."

"Yes, now instead of having Potter we have his worthless Mudblood friend," Voldemort said in a deadly whisper. "How fortuitous."

"My Lord!" Bellatrix fell to her knees at his feet. "I know I have failed you horribly, but as I told you we can still use this to our advantage. Please forgive me!"

"Of coarse we're going to use her! I just need to figure out how!" Voldemort stood up and stalked around the room, the anger of missing out on capturing Potter overshadowing the joy of having the Mudblood at his disposal. He stalked up to the mess of Hermione Granger on the floor, staring down at her. "How are we going to use you to lure in Potter?" he muttered under his breath.

"Break her, my Lord. Show her off as a mindless slave. No one would doubt your power then!" Bellatrix was obviously trying to get back into his good graces. I looked at Severus and he rolled his eyes. The Dark Lord would have thought of that. He wanted something more.

"Yes, yes," Voldemort answered absent-mindedly, waving at Bellatrix as if she were a bothersome fly. He turned to Severus and I. "But is it enough? We can't mess this up. We have one chance at this. You know the Order is going to keep Potter from rescuing her at any cost. It's too dangerous for even the Order to try. Her situation has to be desperate enough that he has no choice but to save her."

We all stood around and stared down at the broken body of Hermione Granger. She had become unconscious sometime during the conversation. We had her in our clutches. It was a wonderful opportunity that had to be taken advantage of. But how? My twisted brain churned through a whole array of choices.

"What if," I started slowly, "we broke her just enough that she obeyed us, but retained her mind. She wouldn't be a mindless drone. She would still be Hermione Granger, someone Potter would find worth rescuing."

The Dark Lord thought about this. He trailed his fingers along his chin, deep in thought. "Severus, fix her up as best you can. Take her to the kitchen. I have much to discuss with Lucius. Bella, go home," he ordered.

Bellatrix looked crestfallen to be ordered away, but she obeyed without protest. She was in enough trouble without demanding to stay. Severus levitated the girl's body out of the door behind Bellatrix's miserable departure.

"I have brought the potions you requested, my Lord. There will not be a scar on her. Today will seem like just a bad dream," Severus said over his shoulder as he walked Hermione Granger down the hall.

"See that it is so," Voldemort answered. He sat back down in his leather chair, motioning me to take the adjacent stool. His face was pensive, thinking of his options for our little prisoner. "Could you do it?" he asked after awhile. "Could you break her without ruining her mind?"

"I believe I can."

"I had summoned you with the intention of having her broken anyway. It would be interesting to see what happens with her mind intact. I summoned Severus to give you a blank slate to start with. I know you like working from scratch and that Bella can get a little overzealous."

I nodded my agreement and thanks at the last sentence. "What would you do with her if I were successful?" I asked.

Voldemort lapsed into another bout of deep thinking. "There are several avenues I can pursue. I could have her join our ranks. I could have her willingly be my concubine. I could parade her as my pawn without fear of her trying to escape. She could be useful. With her mind intact, we get her intellect with the bonus of complete obedience. She would still have her personality, which makes it more likely for Potter to try and rescue her. It would also make it more interesting for me. I hear she can be feisty."

I was taken aback. "My Lord, you would have such plans for a mere Mudblood? Doesn't it go against everything we stand for?"

"Sacrifices we must make to finally get to Potter. I will do anything to finally end him."

Severus came to the doorway. He must have cast a cleansing spell on himself because he should have been covered in her blood after the extensive damage Bellatrix caused. He looked a little tired but no worse for wear. "Her clothes may be a mess, but I assure you that her body and mind are sound. I'll be surprised if she remembers anything about today," he informed us.

"Good. Lucius, take her with you. Do whatever it takes. I want her ready as soon as possible."

"Yes, my Lord. You won't be disappointed," I answered.

"I have complete faith in you. You know your stuff. Bi-weekly updates shall suffice." And just like that I was dismissed.

Severus followed me back into the hall. We walked toward the kitchen together. I don't envy you," he informed me. "I taught the wretch for six years. Most insufferable chit I ever met. You have your work cut out for you."

"Yes. I don't look forward to it." We entered the kitchen. A still-unconscious Hermione Granger was lying on the floor. Except for her clothes that were crimson with her blood, she looked completely healed. I strode over, knelt down, and grabbed her arm, getting ready to Apparate back to my manor.

"Good luck, old friend," Severus said.

"Thank you. I have a feeling I'll need it."

I Apparated away silently, holding on to my new project.


	3. Chp 2: How She Awoke

I landed in my own foyer and dropped the girl immediately, resisting the urge to wipe her blood off on my 500 Galleon robes. Gingerly, I extracted my wand from my walking cane and cast a cleansing spell on everything: robes, skin, cane, etc. I cleaned her clothes as well. I really didn't want to touch her dirty blood again if I didn't have to.

A House-elf popped up in front of me to welcome me home. It's already large eyes widened further at the sight of the unconscious body at my feet. It didn't comment on it. Can't say I didn't teach my servants well.

I shoved past the House-elf, barking orders to put the girl in a cell in the dungeon. She would be out for another couple of hours and I needed to get ready to start working on her. In my experience, just as a prisoner is waking up from being captured is a prime time to do some serious damage.

My son and wife were in the dining room. I could hear the clink of tea cups and their low murmuring voices. Draco was home permanently after last year's fiasco with the whole Dumbledore assignment. No charges were being pressed, especially since Severus was named headmaster and we had almost the whole Ministry under the Dark Lord's command, but I felt better keeping him at home with tutors. It certainly calmed Narcissa down knowing she didn't have to worry about Draco out in the world. She should be the spokeswoman for overprotective mothers. It also kept her out of my hair. Win-win.

I frankly didn't have the time and energy to deal with either of them or their questions. Intending to sneak past the dining room and into my office, I was stopped by Draco calling out, "Father, is that you?" Damn. I plastered a smile onto my face and stepped in the room to greet my family.

What I was not expecting was Bellatrix sitting at the table with them. "Bella was telling us some very interesting news, Lucius," my wife greeted me, eyes narrowed.

I glared at Bellatrix. "What has she told you?"

"Hermione Granger got captured and you get to break her!" Draco was obviously excited. "I can't wait to have her alone so I can Crucio her within an inch of her life!"

"Draco, I will not have you near her. You take after your aunt too much. The Dark Lord has decided to keep her mind intact."

"So that's the plan then?" Bellatrix grumbled, still sore at being dismissed my Voldemort earlier.

"Is she here?" Draco asked. "Can I see her? I promise not to even take my wand out! I just want to laugh at her misfortune. Smartest witch of her age? BAH! Not smart enough to not get captured."

I sat down heavily at the head of the table, sighing. As I poured a cup of tea, I addressed both Draco and Bellatrix. "Yes, she is here, but I forbid you both from going anywhere near her for any reason. That means the dungeon is off-limits. This task will be hard enough without me having to clean up any messes that you two make. If either of you disobey me, then I will not hesitate to inform the Dark Lord that you two are interfering with my work."

Bellatrix and Draco looked dejected at my little speech. My wife looked livid.

"You brought that Mudblood into my house?" she asked in a deadly whisper. "I don't ask for much, Lucius, but you know how I feel about them. Especially Hermione Granger."

Draco prickled, knowing Narcissa was talking about the fact that Hermione Granger, a mere Mudblood, beat Draco in every class. Draco also fed Narcissa some sob story about how Granger, Potter, and Weasely tried to make him look bad at every chance they got. Narcissa may have believed him, but I know my son too well to figure that there had to be some instigation on his part. Draco is no angel.

I didn't answer Narcissa, knowing that Bellatrix would jump in to defend her Lord. I wasn't disappointed. "Cissy!" she cried. "If the Dark Lord wishes it, it is to be done! How honored Lucius is to complete this very important task for our master. I'm not happy at being excluded, but I want nothing more than to see the Dark Lord triumphant and this is certainly a big step to getting him there."

Both my son and wife frowned, irritated at not getting their way. Probably even more irritated that Bellatrix sided with me. But pleasing Voldemort won over family and any past grudges we might have between us. Surprise, surprise.

I drank the last sip of my tea, got up and kissed my wife coolly on the cheek as was expected of me, and went for the door. "She'll be waking up soon. I must get started. Bellatrix, go home. You don't need any temptation to come down and help. Draco, you and your mother aren't to bother me. I have much work to do."

A weakness of mine is that I have a flair for the dramatic. I sat in a lush, red velvet chair. My favorite from the library. I sat in the hall angled so I could see through the bars into the cell that the House-elf had put the girl. My dungeon had no windows, and the only light came from a flickering torch by the stairs that lead to the main house. The flames cast me in shadow but occasionally illuminated my face. I twirled the Mudblood's wand between my fingers. Bellatrix must have had her in too much pain to even reach for the wand that I found in her sweater pocket.

There are three cells in the dungeon set into a semi circle. The two on the sides were empty. She was in the middle one, facing the stairs. It was the size of a small bedroom, enough room for me to fit in there as well and torture her, but not enough room for her to actually really move around. Three of the walls, the floor, and the ceiling were made of dark grey stone. The fourth wall was a line of bars. I kept the cells bare.

She lay on the cold, stone floor on her side. Her hair had fallen to cover her face. I could barely make out her chest raising and falling. I had ordered the House-elf to change her from her light pink sweater and dark jeans to a simple, black cotton robe. It was shapeless and thin, something a slave would have been made to wear back when using Mudbloods and Squibs as slaves had been legal. Those were the days. If only I had lived back then to enjoy it.

I was getting impatient and almost used a spell to wake her up. I knew the effect would be better if she woke up on her own though. She would be nice and groggy and disoriented. A spell would have stimulated her mind too much for me to make a good first impression. I leaned back in my chair, still twirling her wand, and took the locket I had found around her neck out of my pocket. I flicked it open revealing a picture of a happy, older couple on one side. Must be her parents. She looked too much like the woman for them not to be. On the other side was a picture of her, Potter, and Weasely with their arms around each other. I rolled my eyes and snapped it closed.

Movement caught my eye. The girl shifted, exposing a leg all the way up to her thigh. A soft groan followed. I sat up straighter. The show had begun. I made sure that her wand in my hands was visible. As I said, dramatics is my weakness.

She pushed her herself into a half-sitting position, holding herself up with one arm as the other pushed her hair out of her eyes. The hand lingered on her forehead, probably trying to subdue an intense headache. She must have noticed her new outfit at that point because she grabbed the edge of the robe, rubbing in between her fingers. She dropped the fabric, looking around at the stone floor, then at the walls. Her gaze came across me and she slowly closed her eyes, leaving them closed as if she hoped that her eyes were deceiving her.

Panic flittered across her face when she opened her eyes again and the scene had not changed. Nope, not a bad dream. Welcome to your new reality.

Her eyes then found her wand twirling in my fingers. She followed its movement. I held it still in the light of the torch. No mistaking it for any other wand besides her own. Making sure she didn't miss anything, I broke it in half, letting the pieces fall to the floor.

A small sob escaped her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I smiled and stood up. Squatting just beside the bars so I we were at the same height, I whispered, "Mudbloods don't have the right to use magic."

She huddled into herself, clutching her knees and really sobbing into her arms. I left her sitting in the middle of the cell, rocking back and forth. Before slamming the dungeon door behind me, I extinguished the flame. The dungeon was thrown into darkness. I couldn't even see her anymore, although I could hear her heaving breaths and soft hiccups.

I strode down my well-lit hallway, heading towards the library. Draco and Narcissa were sitting by the fire. "How did it go?" Draco asked.

"A good start. A very good start," I answered, pouring myself a glass of brandy.


	4. Chp 3: How I Began

The next morning, I sat at the head of the dining room table, a cup of tea in front of me and the Daily Prophet opened in my hands. Draco and Narcissa had not come down yet, and I was enjoying the time to myself. It was nice to read the paper without any interruptions. I must have thought that too soon for Draco stumbled into the room. He groggily poured himself a cup of tea and sat back with a contented sigh.

"Late night?" I drawled, sneering at his untidy hair and rumpled clothes.

"Yeah, I went out with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle last night," Draco answered, rubbing at his eyes and downing his cup of tea.

"It's still no excuse to come to the table in such a state of disarray."

"I just got home. Could you overlook this one infringement of the rules?"

"Your mother would disapprove," I stated. Merlin, I hoped she didn't find out that Draco was out all night. She'd bemoan for days over the fact that there was a chance that he could have been hurt being out with unsavory characters in bars. Yet, she had no problem with him receiving his Dark Mark early. Perhaps she is crazy like her sister.

"Her door is closed. She hasn't left her room yet this morning. I'll clean myself up before she comes down."

"See that you do. Was there a reason you went out last night?" Honestly, I didn't care, but when my son goes out with other Death Eaters' sons, then it becomes my business. Staying on the Dark Lord's good side takes a lot of talent and knowing the activities of other Death Eaters definitely puts you at an advantage.

"We were just celebrating the capture of the Mudblood. Professor Snape let them go out on a school night to celebrate properly at the Three Broomsticks. I think I drank too much," he moaned, pouring another cup of tea. At seeing my disapproving look, he continued, "Don't worry, Father. We were careful to not mention it in public and the boys are sworn to secrecy."

There was no harm spreading the news of her capture throughout the ranks. Bellatrix probably had already done so by making personal house calls to each Death Eater to regale them of the tale. The only problem I foresaw was that Draco may have gotten too drunk and bragged loudly in a public place that the Mudblood was being held in my manor.

"I'll have your head if you mess this up for me in any way," I threatened, standing up and walking toward my office.

"Wait! Aren't you going to work on Granger at all?" Draco called after me.

"I find it best when prisoners are forced to beg for me to come to them," I answered. Draco looked puzzled. "How long do you think she can last without food or water or the loo?" I asked. "How long do you think she's going to sit in pitch-black darkness before screaming for me to come to her? How long before she acknowledges that she is dependant on me and under my control?"

Understanding dawned on Draco's face. His eyes lit up with some perverse glee. There wasn't any doubt in that moment that he was my son. We have the same twisted mind.

I could hear him chuckling as I shut the door to my office.

I busied myself with paperwork, glancing at the clock far too frequently than I'd care to admit. By mid-afternoon, I had given up on the paperwork and resorted to pacing back and forth across the room. I had my ears straining to hear any noise that may be coming from downstairs.

That stubborn bitch. She'd been sitting in complete darkness for nearly 24 hours. She probably hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for two days or so. But if she was content to stay in her current predicament, than I was content to wait.

I refilled my glass of brandy and sipped it slowly. What if Severus hadn't healed her properly and she died overnight? What if she was too ill to call out?

I was getting paranoid. I needed something to occupy my mind. I stalked toward the library, hoping Draco was around to distract me.

Draco and Narcissa were both in the library. Narcissa was working on her correspondence at the desk by the window overlooking the rose garden. Draco was curled up on the leather couch reading a textbook one of his tutors had assigned him. I went over to the chessboard and started setting up the pieces.

"Care for a game, Draco?" I asked airily.

Draco slowly lowered his book and looked at me with wide eyes. "How can you be so calm?" he asked.

"Whatever do you mean?" I replied, focusing on putting the pieces on the board.

"There hasn't been a peep from downstairs!"

Narcissa snorted in disapproval. I ignored her.

"It's Hermione Granger, Draco. Haven't you always said she was stubborn?"

"Guess so," Draco relented. He sat down across from me, instructing a piece to move to begin our game.

The room was quiet except for our murmured instructions to our pieces, the occasional crash of one chess piece as it overtook another, and Narcissa's scratching quill on the opposite side of the room.

At twilight, a House-elf came to light the fire and announce that dinner was soon to be served in the dining room. I offered my arm to Narcissa and escorted her down the hallway. About halfway to the dining room, Draco stopped dead. My wife clutched my arm and also stopped.

"Did you just hear…?" she whispered.

"Shhh!" Draco ordered.

We all stood in the middle of the hall, cocking our heads trying to catch the slightest sound.

After a moment, I heard a faint and unsure "Hello?" About damn time.

I nudged Narcissa forward, continuing to lead her toward the dining room. Draco blocked our path.

"Aren't you going to go down there?" he demanded.

"She made me wait all day. She can wait until after I've had my dinner."

By the time I finished my meal, Hermione Granger's faint, questioning hellos had turned into near frantic screams for help. Talk about dinner entertainment.

I excused myself from the table, warning Draco and Narcissa not to wait up for me. At the door to the dungeon, I stopped to listen to the pleas of the girl below.

"Mr. Malfoy! Anyone! Please come help me! Mr. Malfoy! MR. MALFOY!"

I silently Apparated into the darkness to just outside the bars. Orientating myself based on her sobbing, I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "You called, Miss. Granger?"

She gasped and I heard her take several steps backwards away from the bars. I snapped my fingers and the torches on the walls lit, flooding the dungeon with light. I stood in front of her on the opposite side of the bars, my arms crossed as if she had taken me away from something very important.

She was a mess. Her hair was tangled beyond belief and grimy streaks where tears had fallen lined her cheeks. Her nose was running and her eyes were puffy. She swayed slightly on her feet. Probably dehydrated.

"Let me repeat: You called?"

She sniffed and seemed to gather herself. She lifted her chin and looked me in the eyes. "I was just wondering if you were going to let me rot down here or if you had planned to make an appearance again."

"What I plan to do or not to do is none of your concern," I drawled.

"I think what you're planning to do with me definitely concerns me," she answered, her voice slightly hysterical.

"I only came down here to stop that horrible screaming. Now if you're quite done wasting your time, I have other business to attend to." I turned to walk away.

"Wait! I need to eat! I need water!"

"What makes you think I'll give it to you?" I asked.

"Well, I'm assuming that you need me alive or else I would have been killed sooner."

"My, my, we are smart, aren't we? But what do I get in return… from you?" I Apparated to the other side of the bars and appeared right in front of her. I slowly walked toward her, backing her into the wall. She gasped as I stepped close enough that my breath rustled the hair at her ears. I ran my eyes down her body with a look I knew was lewd. She trembled. The threat of rape is a very effective tool, I find.

She didn't need to know that I would never touch her. For one, she was a Mudblood and I couldn't stomach the idea of sullying myself with her. For another, Voldemort had mentioned he might want to use her in that way. He probably wouldn't appreciate sloppy seconds.

Her hands came to my chest to push me away. I grabbed her wrists and twisted so she fell to her knees. She cried out as she hit the floor.

"I will tell you what you need and when you need it," I hissed at her. "The sooner you come to realize that you have no control over your life from here on out, the easier this will be. For both of us."

She looked up at me with huge, scared eyes. "What are you going to do with me?" she whispered.

"I am to deliver you to the Dark Lord. So you'd better enjoy your little vacation in my dungeon because I am sure that it can only get worse from here."

I dropped her wrists and she fell to the floor. She sat in stunned silence, trying to comprehend and come to terms with the fact that she wasn't just bait for Potter, but would spend her whole life in servitude to Voldemort.

I left her sitting on the floor, staring at the wall and fighting tears. She didn't even move when I extinguished the flames, again leaving her in complete darkness. As I slammed the door, I heard her start to cry again.


	5. Chp 4: How I Drew First Blood

In the morning, I brought her down a slice of bread and a cup of broth. Not because I cared for her welfare, but because her dying of thirst or hunger was not in my best interests.

As I lit the torches, I saw that she was curled up in a corner of her cell. She didn't move, but stared at me with wary eyes. I swung open the bars and put the tray of food on the floor. Just as she was about to pounce on it like a rabid animal, I stepped in front of it.

"One moment, Miss. Granger. I don't give anything out for free," I told her.

She sat against the wall, regarding me suspiciously. "Well, I won't sleep with you if that's what you're after."

I barely held back a sarcastic snort. "As amusing as it would be to have an inexperienced and less-than-pretty wretch try and pleasure me, I'd have to decline even if you did throw yourself at me. After all, what Pure-blood would lower themselves to have a dalliance with a Mudblood?"

"But last night you…"

"An idle threat to be sure, but don't push me or my threat may come true."

She swallowed audibly. Looking anywhere but at me, she asked, "May I have the food or not?"

"You may..." She went to reach for it. "…if you admit that you are a lowly Mudblood that doesn't deserve her magic."

She stood up to her full height and lifted her chin. Anger flashed across her face. "I am a witch, Mr. Malfoy. I gained my powers and wand fairly. I admit that I am Muggle-born, but I am not ashamed of that. My blood is no dirtier than yours."

I slapped her. Hard. She wasn't expecting it. Eyes watering, she held her hand to her reddened cheek and backed away from me.

"Say it," I ordered.

"Never!"

"_Crucio_!" She writhed on the ground, screaming. I knew the pain intimately. Your skin is on fire, your eyes ready to pop from their sockets. It's said that any more than a minute under the curse and a person will go insane. I held it for less than ten seconds. Generous me.

She was taking deep, heaving breaths on the ground. Sometimes the aftershock can be worse than the curse. You can't get comfortable and you feel drained, vulnerable. It hurts to move and put pressure on any body part. She was gingerly balanced on her palms and knees, trying to have little contact with the stones' hard surface.

"Say it," I repeated. "Tell me you're a dirty Mudblood who isn't fit to lick my boots."

"I won't!"

"Do you enjoy pain that much?"

"I'd rather be tortured than admit to something that I know to be wrong."

I growled and grabbed her hair, forcing her to look at me. "You'd better enjoy pain because I could go at this all day."

She made eye contact. "So could I."

I let her drop to the floor and used the Cruciatus Curse on her again and again. Every ten seconds or so I'd stop and ask again for her to acknowledge her lowly blood status. Every time she would refuse. I grudgingly admit that she used that stupid Gryffindor courage and fortitude.

After I reached the one minute mark, I switched to other curses I knew. None as nearly as nasty as the Cruciatus, but I didn't want to compromise her mind. After those yielded no results, I moved on to physically kicking her.

She was bloody and bruised. Her voice has hoarse from screaming. One eye was swollen shut. I was out of breath and disheveled. My neat queue had come undone and hair fell across my face.

I paused and ordered one last time, "Tell me what a filthy, no-good, brainless Mudblood you are."

She shook her head slowly and then squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the next round of blows.

Instead, I kicked over the tray. The broth trickled in the divets between the stones of the floor. I crushed the bread with my boots, making it dirty and crumbled.

"No!" she cried.

I slammed the bars closed, pounded up the stairs, and banged the door shut. I regard this as the first time I lost my control.

I was seething. I've known Death Eaters that would succumb to such torture. She was insufferable and a challenge. A challenge that I was eager to meet. I just needed to get creative.

Once my temper had cooled, I grabbed some potions and went back downstairs. The broth and bread were gone. She must have sucked the liquid off the floor and eaten the dirty bread. Survival over pride apparently.

She was leaning against the wall, her knees pulled against her chest and her head leaning back. Her face was contorted in pain. "I think you broke my ribs," she ground out in between gasps of pain.

I rolled a bottle of healing potion through the bars across the floor. It hit her foot. She looked at it warily. "Drink it and you should be completely healed by morning," I informed her.

"Thank you," she whispered, picking the bottle up.

"I didn't do it for you," I sneered.

"Oh yes because when has the great Lucius Malfoy done anything for anyone but himself?"

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you," I warned, my voice low and dangerous.

She smartly remained silent. The bottle still remained at her feet and she picked it up. She shuddered as she gulped down the liquid and then rolled back the empty bottle to me.

I caught the bottle under the toe of my boot. Extinguishing the torches on the wall, I made my way back upstairs, her ragged, pain-filled breaths the only thing I could discern in the pitch black.


	6. Chp 5: How She Was Marked

The next day she looked no worse for wear. She was a clean slate to begin today's activities on. Marking unblemished skin gives the same pleasure as most people get from walking across a vast stretch of untouched snow. Simply a divine feeling.

She had stood up as when the torches lit as I walked down the stairs. She didn't look nearly as brave as the day before. Probably couldn't stomach the thought of repeating yesterday's performance.

I pointed my wand at the ceiling and a chain with manacles appeared. Hermione Granger's eyes went wide and she backed up as far as she possibly could to get the furthest away from the chain as the cell permitted.

"Miss. Granger, you look positively frightened," I remarked.

"Do you blame me?"

"Honestly, no I don't blame you, but you do bring this on yourself. I only ask one little thing of you and you are most stubborn. Just admit you are a Mudblood and I will leave you alone for the rest of the day. Otherwise, I fear you may be in my company for quite awhile."

The pain from the day before must have not seemed so bad after the night and the healing potion for she answered, "I will do no such thing." How quickly pain recedes into blurry memories.

"Strip," I ordered.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you hard of hearing, girl? I told you to take off that robe."

"Absolutely not!"

I opened the bars and darted over to her. Grabbing the front of her robe, I lifted her onto her toes so I could look right into her face. "Do it," I hissed, "or be reacquainted with the pain of the Cruciatus Curse."

I shoved her away. She stood stunned, unsure which was the lesser of two evils: the pain of the Cruciatus or to be completely bare and vulnerable?

When her hesitation became too long, I pointed my wand at the center of her chest. "_Cru_…"

"Wait!" I lowered my wand. She turned around and pulled off her robe, balled it up, and threw it in the corner of the cell. Her arms came up and encircled her chest either to cover her breasts or comfort herself.

I looked at the sight in front of me. Her long, brown frizzy hair tumbled down her back. Her back itself was pale and smooth, meeting the two high and rounded globes of her buttocks below. Below that, two long and shapely legs stretched down to the floor.

"Turn around," I murmured, mentally cursing the slight hoarseness of my voice. She obeyed and even brazenly took her hands down and put them at her side, as if she knew that would be my next order.

Her breasts were pert and ample, slightly larger than one would imagine for such a slip of a girl. Her stomach was flat and a mess of curls peeked out between her legs.

If her blood had been pure or even half pure I would have had no scruples about taking her right there and then. Her body was lovely. And being Lucius Malfoy, I knew lovely bodies. Being rich and powerful has the added bonus of gorgeous women throwing themselves at you. The disgust of her being a Mudblood stopped me from making any stupid mistakes.

I grabbed her wrists and gently, almost lovingly, raised them above her head. A blush had climbed up her neck onto her face and her breathing was labored. I could feel the edges of my robe brush against her naked body. Our eyes locked and she didn't look away. Brace little Gryffindor.

I broke our little trance by clamping her into the manacles suspended from the ceiling and backing away.

She struggled against the chains, panic flashing in her eyes. "You are such a bastard," she accused.

I ignored her and pulled out a short that I had hidden under my robes. It was made of silver with an ivory handle encrusted with a ruby. Just one of my favorite toys.

Her struggling had increased and she had cursed under her breath when I took the knife out. I walked up to her and ran the flat side down her face, angling it so I drew blood at the end. She gasped.

"Now, before I start to carve you up like a Christmas turkey, would you care to admit that you are a Mudblood?"

Blood had starting dripping from her chin onto the floor. She glared at me and then suddenly brought a foot up to kick me. I caught her ankle before it made contact. "I'll take that as a no," I said as I took the knife and ran it from the inside of her ankle to mid-thigh. Blood oozed from the deep cut.

I dropped her foot and went to pick up the other one. She tried to pull it away, but I forcefully jerked it up. I repeated the same cut with this leg.

Blood was streaming down her legs as were tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop crying, Miss. Granger," I admonished. "The loss of dirty blood is not a cause to cry. Anyway, I only need to hear one thing from you to stop."

She remained silent, letting her head fall low and resting her chin on her chest. Her hair fell to hide her face. I took that as a sign that she refused to comply.

I continued to decorate her body: a line down her stomach, half circles under her breasts, stripes down her arms, and a zigzag pattern across her back. She hardly made any sounds, holding her breath so she wouldn't cry out. As if that would impress me.

A pool of blood had formed around her feet. It wouldn't be long until she passed out from blood loss. Her knees buckled and she fell forward, kept upright only because of the chains. I squatted in front of her and pushed back the blood-soaked hair away from her eyes. Her eyes were glossy, and she blinked trying to get me into focus.

"Well?" I asked. She responded by passing out.

I healed her wounds and cleaned her up. After unhooking her from the ceiling I laid her on the floor. She groaned. She was weak, but she would survive.

I rolled her onto her side so her back was facing me. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice soft.

I didn't answer and pulled out my wand. When I touched it to the side of her lower back and whispered the incantation, she finally screamed. I held my wand there until the design I was producing was finished. I sat back on my heels and admired my handiwork.

"You screamed just as Draco did when he received his Mark. Of coarse, his Mark is on his left forearm, not left lower back," I told her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, voice high and unnerved.

I lifted my left sleeve to show her my Dark Mark. "We match."

"There is no way in hell that you just gave me a Dark Mark! If you can't force me to admit to being a Mudblood, what makes you think you can force me into becoming a Death Eater?"

"_My_ Mark means that I am a loyal servant to the Dark Lord. Your Mark just means that you are a slave to the Dark Lord and thus to me."

She pushed herself up on her hands and twisted trying to see her new tattoo. "Take it off!" she yelled at me.

"My apologies. You see, it's quite permanent. Do you know how many deserters of the Dark Lord tried to get their Mark off? It's impossible."

She clawed at her back, trying to scratch it off. She was getting dangerously hysterical. I lifted her up and once again chained her to the ceiling.

She screamed curses at me as I calmly walked up the stairs.


	7. Chp 6: How I Neglected Her

Winter came overnight. I was forced to switch into my fur-lined robe before making my way downstairs. I shivered as I passed from the warmth of the main house to the coldness of the dungeon.

Hermione Granger still hung, as naked as the day she was born, from the manacles that I had made the day before. Her skin had a bluish tinge to it that only exposure to a long bout of cold can give. I could actually see puffs of her breath. Her Mark stood out in dark contrast to her freezing skin.

She was unconscious, but if it weren't for her visible exhalations, I would have thought she was dead. When I took the pulse at her neck, it was weak. Our dungeon is inhabitable during the winter. Architectural flaw. If the cold hadn't come on so fast, I would have been prepared to move her somewhere upstairs before there was a chance that she could catch hypothermia.

I undid the manacles and she slumped against me. Putting one arm behind her neck and one under her knees, I carried her quickly up the stairs and into the library where I knew a fire was roaring. I pulled the heavy blanket Narcissa liked using when reading off the back of the sofa and wrapped her in it. She wasn't looking any less blue.

I pulled a small jar off the mantle, grabbed a small handful of powder, and threw it into the fireplace. "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts," I said into the blaze. It was several seconds before Severus's head appeared in the flames.

He could tell that something was wrong by my face. "Severus, I think I fucked up," I told him.

"What potions do you need?"

"I don't know. Anything for frostbite or hypothermia or exposure to cold."

"I'll be right there."

His face disappeared and I turned back to the girl. She hadn't moved from the position I put her in. Was she too far gone? It would be tough explaining it to Voldemort if she died from the cold.

The fire flared and Severus stepped out into my library. He knelt beside the girl and unwrapped her. Her nakedness didn't seem to faze him. "I don't like her color," he informed me.

"Neither do I," I answered.

He felt her forehead and took her pulse. Picking a bottle out of his robe, he fed her the contents. "This should help, but we need to get her somewhere warmer. Is there a bath we could use?"

Draco poked his head into the room. "I thought I heard Professor Snape and I…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Hermione Granger naked on the floor.

"Get out!" both Severus and I yelled together. The library door shut.

"Let's use my bath. We'll get privacy there," I said.

Severus wrapped her back up and gathered her into his arms. I led him into the hall and up the main staircase. I closed and locked the doors behind us after we entered my master bedroom.

"Turn on the water as hot as it will go," Severus ordered as we entered the attached bathroom. He laid her into my tub as I twisted the tap. We both sat on the edge of the huge tub, Severus watching her head to prevent her from slipping under the water. Her color looked improved.

"What happened?" Severus asked, watching Hermione Granger's hair swirl in the water.

I leaned over and turned off the tap. Steam rose from the bath creating condensation on the marble tile walls. I sighed.

"It was really idiotic of me, actually. It got so cold overnight. I didn't even think about her being down in the dungeon until this morning. It's such a useless space in the winter. Nothing can live down there."

Severus nodded in understanding. "But surely a heating charm or fire?"

"Heating charms don't last long enough. And can you imagine her near a fire?" We sat in silence for awhile. "I was actually going to prepare a room upstairs for her today since I noticed the chill downstairs yesterday."

"Well, it was an honest mistake. Who knew this freak cold front would move in?"

"You're too kind, Severus. You know that it was my entire fault. I got careless." I slumped against the wall, putting my hands to my forehead. "The Dark Lord is going to kill me for this."

"I won't mention anything unless explicitly asked by our Lord. But, in the meantime, can I suggest a renovation of your dungeon?" I nodded in thanks. Severus shook his head and laughed quietly. "If anything, I thought you called me because you had gone too far when torturing the insufferable girl, not because you neglected her into unconsciousness."

I smiled thinly. It was definitely a more likely scenario.

A slight splash turned our attention back to the tub. "She's waking up," I noted.

"She'll need a warm place to rest. Go prepare that room and I'll sit with her."

I couldn't let her out of my sight again. No more stupid mistakes. She would stay close to me, I would finish the job, and then I could be rid of her.

There was a large linen closet just outside my bedroom. With a little enlarging, I made it into a semi-permanent living space for her. I added an old, lumpy mattress on the floor, a simple sink, and a toilet. I added those to make my life easier, _not_ because I was feeling guilty. Or so I told myself.

Pain and misery are wonderful things. That is when they are used for a purpose. The intentional pain I had dealt her was to teach her the rightful place in the world for Mudbloods. It was also to train her for service to the Dark Lord. What she went through overnight had no purpose. No need. Someone call the press because Lucius Malfoy may have the beginnings of a heart.

As a final touch to the room, I added a solid oak door with a good lock. The one and only key would stay in my robe's pocket. For good measure, I added a silence charm. We would be sharing a wall and I really didn't want her to be able to disturb me in my bedroom by yelling or banging on the wall. My bedroom was my only sanctuary in this house sometimes.

I made my way back to the bathroom. Severus had the girl out of the tub and standing, although she was leaning heavily against him. I raised my eyebrows when I noticed that he had wrapped one of my luxurious towels around her.

"Thank you for your help, Severus. I know you have a lot of work to attend to. I'll take over from here."

"She'll be very weak for the next couple of days," Severus told me. "If you want her to survive, just let her rest." He pushed her body away from himself. I caught her and picked her up to carry her to her new room. With a nod, he disappeared down the hall.

She moaned and weakly pushed against my chest. "Put me down! I don't want you touching me!" Her voice was low and scratchy.

I ignored her and walked back to the room I prepared. She leaned her head against my chest out of sheer exhaustion and closed her eyes. When I laid her in the bed, her eyes fluttered open and looked at me. "I saw Professor Snape," she said as if she just remembered.

"Yes, he helped heal you," I answered absent-mindedly as I pulled the covers over her. Severus _had_ said to keep her warm.

"He's going to rescue me." She yawned and closed her eyes.

I snorted in disbelief. "Did he tell you that?" I asked sarcastically. Loyal Severus risking his life and all his gained power for Hermione Granger? Unlikely. She must be delirious from the trauma.

I waited for an answer but she had fallen asleep.


	8. Chp 7: How Firewhiskey Made Me a Fool

My wife and son weren't too pleased about the Mudblood living upstairs. Narcissa saw it as an invasion of her home and Draco thought it was unfair that he still couldn't "play" with her when she was just down the hall. I told them that there was no use arguing and to drop it.

I gave my first bi-weekly report to Voldemort over Floo the first day she was resting. It was meager, but the Dark Lord seemed pleased that there was progress. I didn't mention the mishap that occurred the day before. No need to if it didn't affect the final outcome, right?

During meal times, I sent a House-elf up to her room with broth or oatmeal and instructions that she was to finish it all. With a couple of days of free time, I decided to finish some work I had taken on for the Ministry and not waste time with the invalid upstairs.

The second day that she was supposed to be resting, the House-elf I had charged with her feedings popped in front of me in my office. It bowed low, waiting for me to acknowledge it. "Yes?" I drawled over the top of the papers I was reviewing for the Minister.

"Sir, the Mudblood be asking Nilly if Nilly could be asking Master to allow the Mudblood a book," it squeaked.

"A book?" I repeated, bored.

"Yes, the Mudblood be saying that she is bored, sir." It wrung its hands together nervously.

"You may tell her that if she is well enough to read, then she is well enough to think of something else to entertain herself while she recovers." The House-elf started to squeak something out, stopped, and clenched the bottom of its tea towel. "If you have something else to report, stop wasting my time and just tell me," I snapped.

"Sir, she also be asking when sir was going to be showing his cowardly face again."

"She did, did she?" I growled.

I threw my papers on the desk and stomped up the stairs. Throwing the door to her room open, I flew across the room and grabbed her by the throat. She had been sitting on the bed but was forced to rise to her knees or she wouldn't have been able to breathe. Her eyes widened in fear.

"I heard you were asking for me?" I snarled in her face.

"I was j-just wondering how l-long you were going to ignore m-me," she answered, trying to breathe around my hand.

"Do you long for my company that badly?" I shoved her head away from me. She rubbed at her neck.

"No! I was only curious about how long your guilty conscious would keep you away."

I slapped her. She fell against the bed and clutched at her cheek. "How dare you speak to me like that! As if I could feel guilty about a low-down, good-for-nothing Mudblood!" I yelled in her face.

She sat up and straightened her robe, anger flashing in her eyes. "Stop calling me that! You are in no way, shape, or form better than me, Lucius Malfoy!"

"Does nothing get through to that tiny brain of yours? Look where you are! Look at your Mark! You are nothing more than a slave to the Dark Lord now."

"Yes, I realize my predicament, thank you very much! But my identity is all I have left and I won't let you take it from me!"

We stood in the center of the room, both of us out of breath. "Your identity is a Mudblood. At least in this point in your life," I whispered dangerously.

"You can tell me that all you'd like. I know differently." She crossed her arms obstinately.

"Don't push me," I warned

"Or what? You'll torture me? Or lock me in a dungeon? You've already tried that! It didn't work!" Without breaking eye contact, I slowly lifted my sleeve to show my Dark Mark. "What are you doing?" she asked, sounding nervous.

I pressed my finger to the Mark. She gasped and fell to her knees, her head bowed respectfully. When I lifted my finger she fell back as if awoken out of a trance and scrambled away from me as far as the room would permit. "What did you do to me?"

"I thought I'd show you one of the little perks of your Mark: complete obedience. Just a little reminder of who's in charge."

"You're such a bastard."

I laughed and left her alone to think about this new piece of information.

Hermione Granger had me doubting myself. One minute I was afraid that I'd gone too far, the next I was afraid that if I didn't go further she'd never learn her place. What was so special about her that she stood tall and proud in the face of torture and slavery? Better men than her had crumbled at the slightest taste of what I had to offer. I needed to reevaluate my methods.

I decided to get drunk. Properly sloshed. Genius ideas were bound to come to me if I finished that bottle of brandy and started on the bottle of Firewhiskey that I had been saving. Right?

Unfortunately, no good ideas came to me, even as I shakily spilled liquor on myself when pouring my 11th shot. I giggled as I tried to catch the liquid with my tongue as it ran down my hand. Actually giggled. Me! This sobered me up a little. Lucius Malfoy does not giggle. I needed to rein myself in a little. I shouldn't lose control like that.

Thinking about me losing control got me angry. I brooded over how angry I was at the Firewhiskey for making me giggle. Then, I realized that I shouldn't be mad at the wonderful alcohol, I should be mad at the girl who made me want to drink the wonderful alcohol. Hermione Granger.

Damn that girl.

I hunched over in my seat, seething. I got angrier and angrier the longer I sat there with her face swimming in front of my eyes.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I stood up quickly and stumbled across my room and over to the door that she was locked behind. The key was being stubborn and the lock seemed to keep moving around, but I managed to open the door.

She was sleeping soundly on top of the dirty mattress. One hand was flung over her head and the other was resting on her stomach. Her hair lay fanned out around her. Her chest rose and fell gently with each breath. I sat on the floor by her face, leaning against the wall and glaring at the bane of my existence.

Her eyes blinked open and she jumped back at the shock of seeing me sitting across from her. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to figure out how to destroy you."

"You're drunk. I can smell your breath from over here."

"So?"

"So if I can't trust you when you're sober, I definitely can't trust you when you're drunk."

"I wasn't asking you to trust me," I grumbled, feeling tired. Maybe going into her room wasn't such a good idea. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

"Don't you dare pass out in here," she ordered.

"You can't tell me what to do." That nearly sounded like childish whining. I didn't have the brain capacity at this point to feel embarrassed.

"Lucius, go to bed."

"No." I opened my eyes a bit and gave her the meanest look I could conjure at the moment. "And don't call me Lucius. I never gave you permission to call me Lucius."

She huffed and jumped out of bed. She stood over me with her arms crossed and then put her hand out to help me up. I pushed her hand away and used the wall to stand. Standing was a bad idea. I stumbled forward and landed ungracefully on the bed. Good thing Hermione Granger had good reflexes and moved or she would have ended up underneath me.

I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes to wait out the spinning sensation. The bed dipped and she sat down next to me. Her hands tentatively roamed over my sides and up my chest. Through my liquor-induced haze, I moaned my approval. I won't lie; it felt good. I cracked opened my eyes and was greeted with the very shocked face of Hermione Granger. Oh, right. The Mudblood. I had nearly forgotten who I was in the room with. "What are you doing?" I asked.

She was smart enough to know to take advantage of the situation. Lowering her voice seductively, she asked, "Lucius, where's the key?"

"For what?"

"The room."

I grabbed her hands and she fell half on of me. "I'm not _that _drunk."

"Damn." She tried to pull away. I wouldn't let her.

We lay in silence with her still on top of me. I closed my eyes to rest but I could still feel the burn of her stare. Her heart was pounding so hard that I could feel the pulse fluttering in her wrist where I was holding on to her. After a minute, she tried to pull away again and this time I let her. She moved across the room.

I groaned and sat up. I needed to gain control of the situation. Not only had I made a complete fool of myself that night, but somehow it seemed that she had the upper hand for a minute or two. I needed a graceful way out.

My stomach heaved as if the Firewhiskey seemed to disagree with that last thought. I managed to ground out "Go to bed, Miss. Granger," walk out the door calmly, and lock it behind me. Then, all bets were off as I ran into my bathroom and vomited violently into the toilet.

Leaning my head against the cool porcelain, I cursed Hermione Granger for making me lose control again. She would pay dearly.


	9. Chp 8: How She Tried to Escape

Before the sun had risen the next morning, I woke the girl up and told her to follow me.

"You seem mighty chipper for someone who was quite drunk barely three hours ago," she commented as we made our way down the stairs. I ignored her. It was quite an effort to seem so put-together, but I needed to put her back in her place before it got too out of hand.

At the bottom of the stairs was a large bucket filled with water and suds. A small brush sat next to the bucket. The floor of the foyer was covered in a thick layer of grime from the slush and mud being tracked inside. I had told the House-elves to leave the foyer for Hermione Granger to clean. It had not been cleaned for a couple of days. I thought it was the perfect opportunity for her to learn her lowly status. It was humiliating and demeaning work. It was also the best I could do since I had to lay off the torture for another day so she could heal completely.

I pointed to the bucket and told her to get to work. She stared at the small brush and glanced around the huge foyer. "I know you are trying to make a point, but what exactly are you trying to achieve here?" she asked.

"Just get to work, Miss. Granger. The faster you finish, the sooner you can go back into your room."

Surprisingly, she gave no argument. She sighed and knelt on the floor, dunking the brush into the water. The brush made soft scratching noises against the floor as she started scrubbing at the layer of caked-on dirt. After about a minute of working on the same spot, the floor showed clean underneath.

"This is going to take forever!" she complained, moving slightly to the right and starting over on a new spot.

I left her to her work and went into my office. The door was left open so I could keep an ear on her as I got some work done. All I heard was the sloshing of water, the brush scrubbing against the floor, and her frustrated mumblings as she slowly made progress.

At lunchtime, when she had been working nearly six hours, I stuck my head out to see how far into the foyer she had made it. About one third of the floor was sparkling clean. The other two thirds had yet to be touched. She was obviously cramping up from kneeling so long. Her face was contorted in pain and she was working quite slowly. She had spilt a lot of water on herself and her thin robe clung to her body. She glared at me when she caught me watching.

"At this rate, you'll never make it back to your room at a decent hour."

"I'm working as fast as I can! Maybe if I had a better brush or could get some food, I'd speed up!"

"You will work with what you have." She nearly growled and threw herself back into her work, cursing me under her breath.

I retired back to my office and stayed there the rest of the afternoon. On my way down the hall for dinner, I noticed that she was very nearly done. "If you finish before I'm done with dinner, kneel waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs," I told her. She looked up at me. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat and her arms were shaking with exhaustion. She nodded once and went back to work.

I arrived at the table before Draco or Narcissa. I hadn't seen either of them all day. It's possible that Narcissa stayed in her room in one of her moods. I didn't know where Draco could be. I was hoping somewhere with a tutor, but that was probably only wishful thinking.

The front door opened and shut. I heard footsteps walk toward the dining room and then a pause. And then: "Draco, you thoughtless git! It took me forever to wash that floor and you just tracked dirt all over it! I'm going to kill you!"

"Oh, hello, Miss. Granger. I didn't even see you there," Draco responded lightly. "Slavery seems to agree with you."

"I refuse to clean this up! I won't do any more of your father's dirty work!"

"Draco, come in here this instant," I ordered from my spot at the table. "And don't make me go out there, Miss. Granger!" There was an irritated shriek and the sound of what I could only assume was the brush being thrown at the wall in anger.

Draco entered the dining room trying to suppress laughter. "You've got her doing House-elf work?" he asked me. "That's brilliant."

"Draco, sit down and do try not to cause any problems."

A House-elf informed us that Narcissa would be staying in her room for the night so Draco and I ate alone. We ate mostly in silence, both of us listening to the sound of a very angry Hermione Granger curse out the Malfoy name as she redid the part of the floor that Draco messed up.

Around the end of the meal, the hallway got mysteriously silent. "She's up to something," Draco mused. His prediction proved to be correct when we heard the front door get flung open and slammed shut a moment later. An investigation of the hallway showed a clean floor and a bucket filled with dirty water but no Hermione Granger.

Draco ran to the door, opened it, and peered outside. "We've got to go find her!"

I looked out into the night. "It's below freezing, she's wearing a thin, wet robe, and there's a half of a foot of snow on the ground. The gate is locked so she can only go in circles around the property. She has nowhere to go but to come back inside unless she wants to freeze to death."

"You don't think she has any intentions of suicide?"

"Not yet. She still has hopes of being rescued. Now let's finish dinner and not worry about her."

I sent Draco to his room after dinner and had the House-elves extinguish all light on the first floor except the fire in the library where I sat. My flair for the dramatic shows itself again. The cold girl would be drawn to the promise of a warm fire when she returned and would only find me. And punishment. I sipped tea and waited for the insufferable chit to make her way back into the house.

Considering what she was dressed in, she managed to stay out for a long time. She must have checked the perimeter thoroughly to make sure there was absolutely no chance of escape. If she got sick again and I needed to call Severus for the same problem as last time, I'd be beyond pissed. I'd probably just let her die at that point.

The front door creaked open and clicked shut quietly. I could hear her shivering from all the way down the hall. She must have caught sight of the flickering fire for just seconds later she was in the library and kneeling as close to the fire as she could get without actually being in the flames.

"Well, that was an utterly useless exploit, wasn't it?" I asked from my chair in the shadows.

She stood up and faced me warily. "It was worth a shot if I could get away from you."

"Do you realize that even if you had managed to get away, I could have just found you with your Mark?" Her hand went unconsciously to her lower back. I walked over to her and she stood her ground, chin raised and meeting my eyes. "Now you know that escape is impossible. I'll always be able to find you."

"I hate you," she said as tears of frustration, anger, and hopelessness accumulated in the corner of her eyes.

"Good. I'm doing my job right, then. Now, how to punish you?"

"Just _Crucio_ me and be done with it," she snapped.

"A wonderful suggestion. _Crucio_!" I held the curse for almost too long. After I lifted it, she remained curled on the floor where she had dropped. She pressed her head against the cool hardwood and breathed in and out slowly as if she were trying her hardest not to pass out. "That was for all your insubordination. I have yet to punish you for your escape attempt. Since you don't seem to take any threat to yourself seriously, then why not see how you take seeing someone you know in pain? Your parents perhaps?"

"They're in hiding."

"Well, I could always have Professor Snape bring me one of your little school friends from Hogwarts. Or…" I stopped and thought for a second. "Or we can rifle through your mind and see if you have any Mudblood acquaintances I can kidnap and bring here."

She looked up at me from the floor. "There is no one. I made sure to protect my family."

"We'll see about that. _Legilimens_!" Her mind was opened up to me. I delved through memories like one would leaf through a photo album. I saw when she first met Weasely and Potter. When she was sorted. When she took her first exam. No. I needed to go earlier. I then found memories of a grade-school Granger. There was one girl that kept showing up in these memories. Bingo.

I lifted the spell and watched as horror crossed her face as she realized that she may have just sentenced someone she knew to death by not being able to use Occlumency. "You had a friend. A girl named Anna. She was your best friend in grade-school. You've known her since you were a toddler. Did you think of her when you put your loved ones into hiding?"

She didn't answer me. The look on her face was answer enough. I knew plenty from the memories to be able to find this Anna and bring her here to teach Hermione Granger a real lesson in pain.


	10. Chp 9: How She Learned About Real Pain

Kidnapping a Muggle is really too easy. They don't have detection spells. They don't have wards. They don't have anything that magic can't overcome.

I simply Apparated to the neighborhood where Hermione Granger was known to have lived, found the house based on her memories, broke in, and Apparated back home when I had located the girl named Anna. I didn't even have to Stun a dog or family member when she woke up to find a strange man in her room and screamed. I guess not all Death Eater business can be challenging.

Hermione Granger was still in the library where I left her when I went to go retrieve Anna. She stood near the fire hugging herself and futilely hoping that I would come back alone. Her eyes widened as I dragged the screaming and crying girl into the room. I dropped her arm and she fell to the floor. "What do you want from me?" Anna said over and over.

"Anna!" Hermione Granger cried out. She ran over to her friend and enveloped her into a hug. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry!"

"Hermione?" the girl sniffled. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Hermione Granger looked up at me. "Please let her go," she pleaded. "I haven't even talked to her in nearly seven years. It's not fair! Let her go!"

"Life isn't fair, Miss. Granger," I replied. "Now, depending on your compliance, she can die quickly and painlessly or slowly and very painfully."

"Die!" Anna screeched. "I'm only 17! I don't even know you! Why would you kill me?"

"Shhhh," Hermione Granger soothed her, stroking her hair. "It's ok. I'll get you out of this."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," I admonished.

"Well, tell me what I can do to save her life!"

"You can start by admitting that you are a Mudblood," I offered.

She paused, clearly not quite willing to give in to that yet. I flicked my wand and a deep cut appeared on Anna's cheek. She gave a startled cry and pressed her hand to the wound. "Fine! I'm a Mudblood!"

"Like you mean it…" I pointed my wand threateningly at Anna. She flinched.

Hermione Granger stood up and faced me. Tears filled her eyes. "I'm a Mudblood," she repeated. "Can she go now?"

"Why, Miss. Granger, we are just beginning." She took in a shaky breath and waited for what I ordered next. "Kneel at my feet." She immediately kneeled. "Bow your head." She hesitated and then bowed her head low. "Call me Master."

What I could see of her face contorted in revulsion. That earned Anna another slash on the cheek. Hermione Granger looked at the heavily bleeding Anna, glanced at me, bowed her head again, and murmured, "Master."

"I like the sound of that coming from your lips," I nearly purred. "From now on you must only call me Master."

"Yes, Master." Her voice broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Now, if you can follow my next order perfectly, then I will make sure that Anna dies quickly. If you can't, I will cut her into pieces until she is begging me to kill her. Do you understand?" She gave a slight nod. "Kneel at my side, facing Anna. Do not move."

She shuffled to my side on her knees. When her shoulders were brushing my thigh, I raised my wand and pointed to the sobbing girl in front of us. "_Crucio_," I whispered.

Anna's screams filled the room. She was writhing around on the floor with her eyes rolled back into her head. Hermione Granger made an unconscious movement forward but was stilled by a harsh look from me.

I lifted the curse. Anna was twitching on the floor, groaning and coughing. She spit out blood. "You may go to your friend," I said. Hermione Granger crawled across the floor quickly and pulled the girl's head into her lap. She rocked Anna back and forth.

I walked up behind her "Tell her everything is going to be ok."

She shook her head, blinking out fresh tears. "I won't lie to her."

"Do it."

"Anna, everything is g-going to b-be ok," she whispered.

"Now lie her down and back up," I ordered. She shook her head again and clutched her friend tighter. "Obey me or she'll get something much worse than the Killing Curse."

She kissed Anna's forehead and backed up against the couch. "Hermione? Where are you going? I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Anna pleaded. Hermione Granger hid her face in her hands.

"Watch her," I said. "Know that when the life goes out of her eyes it was because of you. It was because you were too proud to admit to the truth of being a Mudblood. It was because you weren't smart enough to take orders from me without complaint. It was because you wouldn't submit to me."

I made sure that her face was uncovered and her eyes were on Anna. "_Avada Kedavra_." The familiar green flash hit Anna in the chest. She slumped to the floor and her eyes stared unknowingly at the ceiling. Hermione moaned and crawled back over to the body, closing Anna's eyes and putting her into a more natural position.

She took a deep breath and stood up. Her face was blank, her eyes empty. "May I go back to my room now?" she asked.

She followed me numbly up the stairs. When we got to her room, she went right to her mattress and laid down facing the wall. I closed and locked the door. Worried about her mental status, I lowered the silence charm so I could hear her throughout the night in case she tried doing something stupid.

After telling a House-elf to clean up the library, I also fell into bed, quite exhausted. It worried me that no crying came from the other room…

I was having a weird dream. Something involving chasing a woman through hallways. I was trying to catch her. It was a game. She was laughing merrily as she managed to escape my hands yet again. I laughed too as the end of her dress disappeared around a corner.

Something shattered. I hoped the woman was ok. I peered around the corner but she was gone.

My eyes snapped open. The sound of shattering glass wasn't part of the dream. I sat up quickly and listened hard through the darkness.

I heard a gasp from the other room. Getting out of bed, I ran to her door and unlocked it.

The toilet tank cover lay broken on the floor. She sat leaning against the wall, a sharp and bloody piece of the broken cover next to her. Her forearms rested on her knees. Even in the dark I could see the trails of blood as they left her wrists and pooled on the floor.

"You idiot girl! What have you done?" I yelled.

She looked up at me with unfocused eyes. "I killed Anna so it only seemed fair that I should kill myself too."

Cursing, I knelt beside her and took one arm. She was too weak to struggle. I said an incantation and the skin sealed back together. I repeated this with the other wrist. There was a lot of blood on the floor.

She had rested her head against my shoulder during this process, too exhausted to hold it up any longer. "I feel woozy," she said. She shivered. "And cold."

I felt her slump against me as she lost consciousness. I picked her up and ran into my warmer bedroom. Plopping her on the bed next to the fire, I went into my bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and located a bottle of Blood-replenishing Potion. It is a good potion to keep handy if one is a Death Eater. Voldemort deals out his punishments harshly.

Uncorking the bottle, I went back into my room. I poured the potion into her mouth and massaged her throat to make her swallow.

It was nearly dawn. I was lightheaded from lack of sleep and too exhausted to care about anything at that point. If the Blood-replenishing Potion wasn't enough to save her life, then would die. Oh well. Too bad. I had been up almost the whole night before. I was up early that morning. I hadn't gotten to sleep until very late that night. And now she had disturbed my rest.

I just wanted to sleep. I didn't even have the energy to move her again. The stress of the last week finally had caught up with me.

I pushed her body to the furthest edge of the bed by the fire and fell down into the soft mattress. I was asleep before I even realized that I was sharing a bed with the Mudblood.


	11. Chp 10: How My Morals Were Compromised

I woke up to something tickling my nose. I opened my eyes to find a vast mess of bushy hair in my face. There was a warm body curled up next to me with her head cuddled into my chest.

I didn't remember taking a woman to my bed last night, and I'm usually good at remembering my sexual exploits.

The memory of the night before suddenly came crashing down on me. "Dear Merlin!" I yelled as I jumped out of bed and backed up a bit. I swallowed back some bile as I realized that I had allowed Hermione Granger to stay in my bed. What had I been thinking?

She made a happy little sound and snuggled deeper into the warm blankets. Well, at least she was alive.

She looked fine except that she was covered in her own dried blood. The sheets were smeared in it. I looked down at myself and noticed that I was also plastered in her blood. I gagged a little at the sight of her dirty blood on me. Apparently, I was too tired the night before to clean up a bit before falling asleep.

I made sure that she was still fast asleep and then hopped into the shower. The water couldn't get hot enough to cleanse me of the feeling of being tainted with her blood. I must have soaped myself down at least five times.

When I was clean, dressed, and presentable, I stood over the still-sleeping girl and cleared my throat loudly. She opened one eye and stared up at me. Sitting up, she looked at the mess of the bed and herself and asked, "Couldn't you have just let me die?"

"Believe me, it was tempting. And now I must burn these sheets."

She rolled her eyes and got out of my bed. I moved into her path as she tried to make her way back to her room. She crossed her arms and said, "Are you going to move? Because I'd like to clean up, if you don't mind."

"So quick to forget what we learned last night, aren't we? Or shall I look into your mind and find someone else to help you relearn the lesson?"

She gave a mock curtsy and spat out "Master" as she stepped around me. I whirled around, grabbed her by the hair, and threw her into the floor. Keeping a hold on her so she had to look at me, I snarled, "You would do well to remember who wields all the power here."

"After last night do you think I care? Torture me! Kill me! I don't care! I don't know how you can take an innocent life without it tearing you up inside. It hurts! I hurt! I want to die, to not feel anything anymore!" she cried.

"My life would be so much easier if I could just kill you."

"Then do it!" She took my hand that held my wand and pointed it at her chest.

I let go of her. "Death is too good for you." I walked over to her room and cast a quick spell to clean it up. I also added a charm to make any fixtures unbreakable so I wouldn't have another suicide attempt on my hands. Pushing her into the room, I said, "When you are ready to be reasonable and accept your fate, I will let you out again. Until that time, you are to have no interaction with anyone or anything. Food and water will appear twice a day, but will disappear after an hour. Knock on the door when you've decided to admit to your inferiority, be it days, weeks, months, or years. I am in no hurry."

With that, I slammed and locked the door.

As I exited my room to go to breakfast, I met my wife as she came down the hallway.

"I heard yelling," she said as we met at the top of the stairs.

"Yes, the girl is insufferable."

"Lover's spat?" she asked acidly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"You're fucking her."

I laughed, but stopped when I saw that Narcissa was serious. "What the hell gives you that idea?"

"You have a beautiful woman basically living in your room. I've turned my head from your other affairs, Lucius, but I won't tolerate a Mudblood."

"She's a repulsive pain in my ass. I'm doing my duty to the Dark Lord, nothing more. Plus, I have my morals. As a Pure-blood, I would never stoop so low as to fuck a Mudblood."

"You're training her so the Dark Lord may use her so."

"That's his business."

"Other men have kept Mudbloods for purely pleasure."

"I'm not 'other men'."

"Draco thinks you're fucking her, too. And you should hear what other Death Eaters are saying..."

"Now listen here," I hissed. "I'm doing my part for the Cause. I'm following orders from the Dark Lord. I do not care what others are saying. I'm proud to serve my Lord. And if you knew what was good for you, you'd stop these outlandish accusations and support your husband in his task."

I left her standing shocked on the stairs and continued into the dining room.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Narcissa sat looking chastised and Draco looked confused as to why his parents seemed to be quarreling when we usually took such a great effort to be coldly civil to each other. I ignored both of them by blocking them from view with the Daily Prophet.

A House-elf suddenly was bowing at my side. "So sorry to be disturbing you, Master, but Master has a Fire-call in the library," it squeaked.

"Who is so important that you find it necessary to disrupt my breakfast?" I asked, turning a page in the newspaper.

"The Dark Lord, Master."

"I'm very pleased with your progress with the Mudblood," Voldemort stated after I had briefed him on the last couple of days. "It seems that before long I shall have a very accommodating servant."

"She is certainly on her way to becoming an adequate slave for you, my Lord," I answered.

"Good, good. You are a very loyal and obedient Death Eater, Lucius. You shall be greatly rewarded when she is finished," he said, "but I must admit that I didn't call just to get an update. I must ask you to perform another task for me."

"I shall be most honored to help you in any way I can."

"It still regards the Mudblood so it won't take you away from your other duties. I was thinking this morning that her . . . education . . . may still be lacking in some areas."

"How so?"

"When you release her into my custody, I won't have time to teach her the fine art of pleasing a man. I want her fully trained when she gets here. You are to do that for me. I wouldn't trust anyone else. You have such . . . experience."

"But, my Lord, I am a married man."

"A married man who I've seen rape and have affairs with literally hundreds of woman. The last time you shared a bed with Narcissa was when Draco was conceived. You did your duty to produce an heir and that was that. I've seen enough Pure-blood arranged marriages to know how they work. Don't use that as an excuse just because you find having intercourse with a Mudblood deplorable. I order you to do this for me."

"Yes, my Lord. I apologize for my insolence."

"After all, Lucius, Mudbloods are good for something," Voldemort said suggestively. "Get over this silly notion that a Pure-blood can't use them for pleasure. A warm body to use is about the only thing they are good for. I await your update in a few days' time."

With that he was gone.

Oh Merlin. I was going to have to touch Hermione Granger intimately. I was going to have to let her touch me intimately. The room suddenly got hot and I found it hard to breathe.

Breathe, Lucius, breathe. In and out. You can do this. For your Lord. For the Cause.

I grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey off the bar and took a swig. Damn that girl to hell! How else was she going to upturn my life? First, she invades my home. Next, she takes up all of my time with her stubbornness. Now, she's going to have me throw my morals to the wind.

She shall pay for all of it.


	12. Chp 11: How I Swallowed My Pride

My stomach was unsettled. The contents rolled around and attempted to escape up my throat. I swallowed hard. Control, Lucius. Control.

I didn't know if I should stick to my threat of leaving her in her room until she was ready to behave or start with the Dark Lord's newest task. The first option left me open to Voldemort's wrath and punishment. The second option made my threats to the Mudblood look weak. Neither choice seemed favorable.

I decided to give her a day or two to come to her senses. When she was sick, she was basically begging to be let out after less than two days. Maybe my luck would hold and she would knock to be let out soon which would give me time to work with her before Voldemort required an update. Always an optimistic.

When I was in my room, my stomach twisted at every little sound I heard her make. I was worried that she was going to knock on the door and then I'd have to do my duty for my Lord. I couldn't stand the thought of being intimate with her, and the waiting seemed to make it worse. I was on edge. I was going crazy.

She finally did knock on the door just 36 hours after I had locked her in. I felt strangely calm. At least she had backed down first and I didn't have to barge in there. That would have been less preferable.

I swung open the door and was pleasantly surprised to see her kneeling already. "Master," she greeted me.

"So, Miss. Granger, decided to submit at last. A good decision," I replied.

She nodded slightly. "I just can't stay in there alone anymore," she said. "I'm going stir-crazy. I keep hearing Anna's voice, her screams. Anything you can dish out is better than being trapped in that room with my guilty conscience."

"Don't be so sure," I muttered. She gave me a curious glance.

I walked over to my chair near the fire and motioned that she should kneel in front of me. She did so. "The Dark Lord wanted me to find out some information from you so he knew what to expect when you are handed over into his care." I fell back into the plush softness of my chair.

She ventured a look at my face. "What sort of information?"

"He wanted to know how far you have gotten…intimately with a boy." _For Merlin's sake, please please please say you and Weasely have had sex_, I silently pleaded. _That way I can just tell Voldemort that you've been adequately subjected to carnal pleasure and I won't have to touch you_.

She frowned. "Why would he want to know about that?"

"Because, you stupid girl, what do you think he wants to use you for when you live with him? Do you think he just wants you to sit in a room all day?"

She blanched. "I thought I'd be more like a servant. Clean and stuff like that…"

"Then you are naïve and delusional," I answered. "The Dark Lord is a man with needs just like any other man and for some reason he has set his eyes on you. Now, what is your answer?"

She blushed a deep red, hiding her embarrassed face in her hands. "I'm going to be used for sex?" she asked softly. "With Voldemort?" She changed from red to a nauseating shade of green. "No, no, no, no, no! Can't I stay here with you?"

"Absolutely not. I look forward to the day when I rid myself of you. Answer the question."

"Ronald and I have kissed…" she started slowly.

"And?"

The blush was back. "And I let him put his hands up my shirt."

"And?"

"That's it."

"That's it? So you're a virgin?"

She looked anywhere but at me. "Obviously." She cradled her head in her hands. "I can't believe that I'm going to lose my virginity to Voldemort," she whimpered.

"Actually, I believe that honor belongs to me," I said with an evil smile, even though my stomach heaved at the thought.

The Dark Lord was expecting an update the next day so I had no time to lose. I ordered a House-elf to clean up the girl. She was to have a bath, shave, comb her hair, and put on clean robes. If I had to touch her, she was at least going to be clean and presentable when I did so.

While she was getting ready, I went to the library to clear my head a bit. I stood over the fire and sipped a brandy to calm myself. The manor was quiet. It seemed Draco and Narcissa had gone out for the night. Good, I didn't need them around to witness this.

The fire flared and Severus's head popped into the flames. He looked up at me and I scowled. "I'm not in the mood for idle chit-chat. What do you want?"

"Hello to you too, Lucius," he drawled. "I was just checking in on how you were advancing with the Mudblood. Like the good friend that I am, I was interested in any developments, but I shall go if I am bothering you."

"No, it's fine." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I actually need to talk to someone about her."

"What has the chit done now?"

"Nothing. She has actually improved in many ways. She's come far."

"So what's the problem?"

"Our Lord wants me to make sure she's adequately educated in sex. She's a damn virgin, Severus! I need to take her virginity! I have to teach her from scratch!"

"Most men would jump at the chance, Lucius. You have quite an honor."

"Most men aren't so proud of their Pure-blood status that touching a Mudblood physically sickens them."

"I'll do it for you."

"No, the Dark Lord said it must be me. And why would you? Having fantasies about fucking a student?"

"Maybe. But I also don't have your qualms about Mudbloods."

"I appreciate the sentiment. And believe me I would take you up on your offer if I could." He nodded and we lapsed into silence for a few moments. "She said something really funny the last time you were here, Severus," I remembered chuckling. "She said that you were coming back to rescue her."

Severus laughed and said, "I wonder where she got that from. Well, good luck. I need to get back to the dunderhead students." With that he was gone.

"Goodbye to you, too," I grumbled at the ordinary flames.

All too soon, the House-elf came down to tell me that Hermione Granger was ready and waiting for me in my room. I walked slowly up the stairs as if I was heading to my death. And in a way I was. The death of my morals, that is.

She stood looking out the window with her arms around herself. She was shaking pretty badly. She didn't turn as I came in the room and shut the door behind me.

I took a moment to study her physique, willing myself to feel some sort of attraction to her. This definitely couldn't happen if I didn't get aroused. I remembered the way she looked naked in the dungeons and how I had appreciated her body. How I thought that if she weren't a Mudblood, I'd take her in a heartbeat. I tried to reclaim that feeling again.

As I took off my outer robes to reveal a white shirt and black pants, I let my eyes trail down her body. I felt the stirrings of something as I imagined her trapped under me and squirming either with pleasure or resistance. Her choice.

I folded my robe over the chair and walked up behind her. She continued to ignore me, apparently finding the landscape outside absolutely fascinating. I breathed in her scent. It was pleasant. Flowers and perfume. Her hair actually looked decent for once. If I were to be unbiased, I would have to agree with what Narcissa had said. She was a beautiful woman.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I mean, when was the last time I had taken a virgin? That would probably have to be with Narcisssa on our wedding night. As our contract dictated, both of us were to be virgins if we were to marry. After that, I favored having encounters with only women who seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Now with all my experience, I could enjoy this virgin, instead of being the bumbling, shy fool like I had been on my wedding night.

The internal pep talk helped. I knew I could do this now.

I felt the sudden need to touch her. As if I didn't, I'd lose all resolve. Moving slowly as I would with a skittish animal, I pushed back her hair over her shoulder. Now that her neck was exposed, I ran my fingers gently up and down the smooth expanse of skin. She shuddered, either from revulsion or nerves.

"This can be done the easy way or the hard way," I told her. "If you follow my lead and are obedient, this may even be enjoyable for you. But I will force you if you are defiant."

She took a deep breath and turned around. "Either way, it will still be rape. Don't expect me not to defend myself."

"So be it." I flicked my wand and her robes fell apart at the seams. She tried to catch the edges of the fabric to keep herself covered, but failed. She resorted to using her hands to cover up as much as herself as possible, shooting me a look mixed with anger, exasperation, and trepidation. "Get on the bed," I ordered.

She ran.


	13. Chp 12: How I Took Her Innocence

She ran right for the door. Fortunately, I was quick enough that I was able to lock it with a simple flick of my wand. She turned around, put her back against the door, and looked at me with frightened eyes.

"Come now, Miss. Granger. Enough of these juvenile games," I said as I stalked toward her.

She ducked to the side and ran along the wall, putting space between us. The scene of Hermione Granger running around my bedroom naked would have actually been funny if I wasn't getting quite annoyed with her antics.

"Come here this instant!" I ordered. She shook her head and backed up further, trapping herself in a corner. Unfortunate for her. Lucky for me. I rushed forward, effectively confining her to the corner with my body. She put her hands against my chest to try and keep me at a distance, but I used the opportunity to seize them and drag her toward the bed.

"No! Please, no!" she cried. "I'll do anything you ask!"

I pushed her onto the bed. "I'm asking you to cooperate."

"Anything but this! I'll be better. I'll behave. Please don't do this!" she pleaded.

I crawled onto the bed, looming over her. She had pushed herself up against the headboard, trying to get as far away as possible on the confines of the bed. "Neither of us has a choice in this matter," I told her as I spelled ropes around her hands that tied her to the bedposts. "But I plan on making the best of the situation. I gave you the opportunity to do so too."

Satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere, I leaned back to study her. She was nearly hyperventilating, her chest heaving with quick, shallow breaths. Tears streamed down her cheeks. I brushed her hair out of her face and let my touch trail down her body. Her eyes squeezed closed tight and she brought up her legs to try to push me away. I forced them back down and straddled her to prevent it from happening again.

I looked down at the young, supple body underneath me. If she had been a willing participant, I would have known exactly what to do next, which is to show her pleasure like she has never felt or would ever feel again. I admit that it may be surprising to find out that I am not a selfish lover. In fact, I find it more pleasurable when the woman is having a good time, too. How else do you think I attract so many women to my bed? With my looks and body, yes, but also by being generous. Word of my skills often travels fast.

Rape isn't my thing. Oh yes, I'll do it on the Dark Lord's orders and I admit that I will enjoy it to a certain degree, but it's much different when it's quick and dirty at a Death Eater meeting and not at my leisure in my own bedroom with time to think and plan my next move. So I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do next.

She must have sensed my hesitation because she said, "You don't have to do this."

Running my hands over her breasts, I replied, "But I must. And I will. I shall enjoy putting you in your place once and for all."

Cupping her breasts, I rubbed my thumbs over her nipples. They hardened at my ministrations. Something else hardened as well. "See? You protest but your body still responds."

She wiggled underneath me, attempting to dislodge my hands from her chest. It only aroused me further. Working on primal instinct now, I lowered my head and licked at the side of one luscious globe. She gasped in surprise and stilled as though if she were not to move, I would get bored and stop. I instead took the opportunity to take her nipple into my mouth and suck. Hard.

Her breath hitched. "If you just relax and listen to your body, I could make this pleasant for you," I whispered into her ear.

She looked me in the eyes. Tears accumulated in the corners of them. "Don't you know what that would do to my soul if I just gave in to you? It would be so much easier but I couldn't live with myself if I betrayed Harry and the Order like that."

During this little speech, I snaked my hand down the curves of her body and in between her legs. I slipped my finger through her soft mess of curls there and found her center. I gently stroked it. Moisture started to accumulate. She made a strained, high sound in her throat. "Are you sure?" I murmured, as I quickened the pace a bit. She unconsciously lifted her hips to get more friction.

I parted her legs with my knees and settled between them to get better access. Continuing with the stroking, I also inserted a finger into her hot, tight passage and slowly moved it in and out of her. She moaned softly and the sound seemed to remind her that she was _not_ supposed to be allowing this. "No, stop," she said unconvincingly. I didn't.

"Has any man touched you here before?" I asked, my voice almost a growl.

"No," she managed to breathe out in between gasps of pleasure.

"Not even Weasley? Not even over clothes?"

"I told you he hasn't!" Her breathing was getting faster, and it wasn't from fear this time. "Please…"

"Please what?"

"I don't know!" she cried out in frustration, wiggling against my fingers.

"Have you ever orgasmed before?" I curled my finger slightly to graze her G-spot.

"N-no," she managed to get out.

"Then, you're in for a surprise." With that, I ducked my head and licked at the small button at the center of her being. She came with a high mewl and clenched around my finger.

I sat up next to her, gently pulling my finger out of her. She had lain back with her eyes closed, trying to get her breathing under control. When she had calmed down a bit, she opened her eyes and looked at me. I made a show of licking her juices off my finger.

"Can I go now? You've humiliated me enough and I'd like to be untied."

"Don't pretend like you didn't love that. The sounds you made were proof enough." She blushed. "But now we have that pesky virginity that I have to take care of."

She went pale. "Haven't you made your point for today? You used my body to betray my heart and mind. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for the Dark Lord it isn't," I said as I started undoing my belt.

"You're a bastard, Lucius Malfoy, and I will always hate you!"

"Promise?" I asked as I pulled out my erect cock. She eyed it apprehensively.

I pushed her legs apart again and rubbed it against her. Her eyes widened and then squeezed shut. "This is going to hurt," I warned as I lined myself up. I felt her body tense as she braced herself. I quickly thrust in, breaking her maidenhead in one quick stroke. She cried out. I rested there a minute to give her time to adjust and to enjoy the feel of her body around me. It was heaven. She was warm and slick and just so damn _tight_. Why had I wasted all those years on "mature" women when I could have had this sweet virginal tightness all along?

I gave an experimental thrust. She whimpered but didn't seem to take it too badly. I thrust again and again, reveling in the amazing feeling of her. I quickened my pace, impatient to find my release. Soon her whimpers of distress turned into small sounds of appreciation. You know you're good when a victim of rape is getting enjoyment out of it.

I reached down between us and began to rub her again. She gasped and her eyes flew open. Moaning deliciously, she raised her hips to reach mine. "Can you come again for me, my pet?" I asked. She moaned again and arched up against me in response. "Come for me," I ordered.

That sent her over the edge and she screamed out her pleasure as she tightened around me. I followed her into the sweet abyss of orgasmic bliss, pouring my seed into her body and grunting my contentment.

I lay on top of her for a moment, both of us panting after our exhaustive efforts. When I had caught my breath a bit, I slipped out of her and rolled over onto my back at her side. I flung my arm over my eyes, quite content.

The room was silent except for our breathing. I could have fallen asleep, but she softly asked, "May I be untied now?"

I sighed and stood up, straightening my clothes and spelling the ropes away. She jumped up and backed across the room, putting distance between us. "Well, that's pointless now," I drawled. "The deed has been done."

She was staring at the bright red spot in the middle of the sheets. Proof that her virginity had indeed been taken. She choked back a sob, covering her mouth with her hands. I guess it must have made the experience seem more real. I eyed her carefully, hoping that she wasn't going to have a complete mental breakdown.

"It is good evidence to show the Dark Lord that I have indeed done what was asked of me," I said. "I will send him the sheet as verification that you are being prepped for him."

That hit home. She finally seemed to grasp her situation. She fell to the floor in a dead faint.


	14. Chp 13: How I Made Her Come To Me

I managed to get her in her room without much trouble. She was still unconscious as I closed and locked the door behind me. I hoped every experience wouldn't end in a faint…

I took the sheet off the bed, folded it, and wrote a letter to Voldemort detailing the progress I had made with the girl. Calling for a House-elf, I gave it the package to deliver. Then, I sank into my chair by the fire with a large drink. I deserved it.

I had gotten over the first hurdle in this little task. Her virginity had been taken. Now I just needed to get her to the point where she would be agreeable to the deed. Maybe even seek it out herself… Make her come to me instead of me having to go and force her.

Draco opened my door and peered into the room. I raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you do to her?" he asked. "I heard screaming."

I smirked. "Just putting her in her place."

"Oh, good. Well, thought you'd like to know that Professor Snape is in the library."

Severus was lounging in a leather chair by the fire when I entered the library. I sat in the matching chair across from him, sipping at my unfinished drink.

"I'm guessing you've taken her, then," he said.

"What makes you say that?"

"You look thoroughly shagged. And I happened to be with the Dark Lord when he received your package. He wanted me to convey to you his pleasure at this accomplishment and his admiration at your humorous proof."

"Is that the only reason you're here?"

"I wanted to know how it went. How she took it."

"Concerned for Miss. Granger's health?" I asked.

He snorted. "Hardly. But the Dark Lord does want her mentally stable and alive so I thought I'd offer potions to heal her if necessary."

"She's fine." He dropped the subject and lapsed into silence. "But you could brew me a potion if you'd like to be helpful."

"What would you like?"

"A powerful aphrodisiac. I want her to beg me to fuck her."

"You're enjoying this way too much."

I smiled. "How often do your tasks for our Lord require you to shag a young woman senseless? Would you not enjoy it too?"

"Touché." He sat silently, thinking. "I think I have something that I can send you within the week."

"I trust that anything you will brew will work perfectly," I told him with a calculating stare.

Was it just me or did Severus Snape seem to leave rather too quickly after that?

The potion arrived four days later with explicit instructions to not give her more than a small sip per usage.

She had put herself into self-inflicted isolation during the time since I had taken her virginity. I didn't even need to lock her door. As long as she continued to eat her meals, I couldn't care less what she was up to. I could barely even hear her moving around in her room, but I knew she cried when she thought I wasn't around. At least she was showing some sort of emotion and hadn't completely retreated into her mind.

I called for her to come to me as soon as I entered my room with the small box that the potion came in. Nothing happened for the first few moments and I was starting to believe I might have to go in there and drag her out by her hair, but the door opened softly and she quietly walked to stand in front of me.

She looked fine. No different than what I was used to. Except maybe for the dark circles under her eyes as if she had been having nightmares. Or hadn't been trying to sleep at all.

I uncorked the bottle and held it out to her. "Just a sip, if you please."

She eyed the clear, lilac liquid wearily. "What is it?" At my glare, she dropped into a little curtsy and added, "Master…"

"Don't question my wishes. Just take it."

She gently took the bottle, making a great effort not to touch me. She sniffed at the liquid carefully. "Ginseng… Saffron…" She paused as she realized the nature of the potion and then tried to hand the bottle back to me. "I'm not drinking this."

"You say that like you have a choice."

She scowled and quickly took a sip as if she would lose whatever courage she may have if she thought about it any longer. Thrusting the bottle back into my hand angrily, she stepped back and closed her eyes against what I could only imagine were the beginnings of the potion taking effect. Her fists balled up at her sides and she whispered a steady mantra of "Damn you, damn you, damn you."

She opened her eyes and they were glazed over with lust. She was using all her strength to keep her distance, although I could see that she was close to losing control.

"There's no need to fight it," I assured her. With those words, she launched herself across the space between us and attempted to press her mouth against mine. Pushing her away and frowning down at her, I said, "I do not kiss."

"Of course you wouldn't," she muttered, attacking the buttons on my shirt instead. Once she had unbuttoned my shirt completely, she ran her hands over my chest with a contented sigh. "Do something!" she pleaded, looking up at me.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Touch me! I don't care. Just do something! I'm _burning_!"

"You seem to be doing well enough on your own," I commented as she went for my belt buckle next. She gave a frustrated groan when I wouldn't help her.

"You can't just stand there like a statue!" A happy moan escaped her as she finally got my pants open. Her hands delved inside my black silk boxers and wrapped themselves around my length. I sucked my breath in through my teeth at the sensation of her small hands around me. She smiled as an idea came to her. "I'll just have to find some way to break through cool Lucius Malfoy's stony exterior."

She knelt to the ground and pulled free my straining erection. Face to face with it, she seemed to lose some of the confidence that the potion provided. She shyly licked at the tip and became more assertive as I let out a small grunt of approval.

She pushed me back until I was lounging in the chair by the fire, my pants around my ankles and heavy-lidded eyes staring down at her frizzy hair. I snaked my hand through the curls and pushed her hair aside so I could see the amazing sight of her tongue darting out across my tip. She raised her eyes and met mine.

"Robes. Off," I hissed out. She sat up and swiftly pulled her simple robes up and over her head. Settling back between my legs, she gave me a couple of more exploratory licks before taking the whole length into her mouth. I made a very unMalfoy-like sound of appreciation.

Her head bobbed up and down slightly and her breasts rubbed against my thighs as she experimented with the different ways to make me continue to grunt my encouragement. It must have been natural talent because no innocent girl should be able do _that_ without practice. Perhaps the potion had some enhancements in it?

As I felt my climax approaching, I pulled her off of me by the hair. She whimpered at the lost contact. That alone nearly made me come. "As pleasing as that was, I can think of other places I'd rather reach my completion."

She crawled up my body and settled herself into my lap, straddling me. She wiggled against me, trying to get some friction and receive some pleasure that she thus far had been denied.

With a small maneuver, I was inside her. She gasped and closed her eyes at the sensation of me filling her. Without needing to prompt her, she was moving. I sat back and watched her as she bounced up and down on my length, her breasts swinging tantalizingly. She put her hands on my shoulders and glanced down at me. "Lucius, I need you to fuck me. I want you to fuck me hard!"

With a growl, I lifted her by the hips and swung our still-connected bodies over to the bed. She landed on her back with me on top of her. After a slight pause, I was pounding into her. She was moaning and writhing under me, meeting each thrust with her hips, pushing me deeper inside her. As she neared her orgasm, she started spewing out such filthy dirty talk. Where had a young lady learned such phrases as she was screaming, I would never know. But it drove me wild and soon we were both trembling our simultaneous climaxes.

We both lay back on the bed, panting. She gave a happy sigh and rolled over, melding herself against my side. I tensed at the contact, but allowed it when she started making lazy circles with her fingers on my chest. Her relaxing touch had nearly lulled me into a peaceful doze until I felt the movement slow and then stop. All of a sudden, she sat upright with a distressed squeal.

Looking at the smooth expanse of her back, I asked, "Have the potion's effects stopped?" Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. I took that as a "yes".

I made no attempt to console or berate her. In fact, I ignored her completely and tried to get to sleep. She was a big girl and could figure out how to handle the emotional turmoil on her own. The last I remember before drifting off was seeing her staring blankly into the fire while still sitting on my bed completely naked.

(A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Fanfiction wasn't letting me upload any new chapters, although I've had one done for awhile now. As a bonus/sorry for the wait peace offering, you get TWO chapters today.)


	15. Chp 14: How We Were Discovered

"I knew it!" I was awakened the next morning by my screeching wife. She was standing in the doorway with Draco peering over her shoulder.

Some time during the night, I had made my way under the covers. By the presence of the large lump beside me, Hermione Granger had too. Sitting up, I fixed Narcissa with my worst glare. "What happened to knocking?" I asked.

"You lost your privacy privileges when you started screwing the Mudblood!"

"Perhaps a Silencing Charm next time, Father?" Draco offered.

With an exasperated sigh, I ran my hands through my hair, trying to wake up a bit before charging head-on into this argument. "You know I wouldn't have if I hadn't been ordered to by the Dark Lord."

"It's just an excuse! You're just glad you have a reason to so you can keep your semblance of morals! She would have wormed her way into your bed eventually even without your orders."

"Believe what you want, madam, but I act on orders and orders only."

"Did the Dark Lord order you to snuggle afterwards too?"

The girl beside me hid further beneath the covers. "Narcissa, I know your stance on Mudbloods, but you will need to get past this for the Dark Lord. She's just being trained for his use and will not be here much longer, I'm sure. If you keep your mouth shut, then no one will know what you discovered today and your reputation will be kept intact."

"If this gets out, Lucius, and my reputation is sullied because of it, then I am divorcing you."

"Empty threats. A divorce would cause more of a scandal than me taking a Mudblood mistress."

Narcissa huffed and stomped off down the hallway, her high heels making an angry clicking sound. Draco smiled apologetically, softly closed the door, and followed his mother.

I lifted the covers to expose the girl. She tried shrinking further into the sheets, but reluctantly sat up at the furious look I gave her. Tucking the sheets around her tightly to cover herself up completely, she said, "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused by not going back to my room."

"One would think that you'd want to get as far away as possible after what I did to you."

"I did," she answered, "but I also couldn't bear the thought of being alone. The nightmares have gotten so bad…"

"And that gives you permission to stay in my bed?"

"If you didn't notice, _you_ were spooning _me_ when we were awakened. So it didn't seem like you minded all that much."

"Go to your room. Now," I whispered dangerously.

She got up and quickly went over to the door. Pausing in the doorway, she said, "I'm sorry if I hurt your marriage in any way." Then, she disappeared into her room.

Stupid, honorable Gryffindors.

Later that day, I was looking over a draft of a law for the Minister, sitting in my favorite chair by the fire in my room, when she boldly stepped out of her room and waited for me to acknowledge her.

"What is it, Miss. Granger?" I asked in a bored monotone.

"I was wondering if… That is, I was hoping that…" The little bit of courage she seemed to have gathered before leaving her room vanished at my harsh glare.

"For Merlin's sake, girl, out with it!" I yelled at her.

"Can I take a proper bath? Not just be magicked clean by the House-elves? I feel so dirty after…" She stopped and blushed.

"I suppose I could allow it in exchange for something from you."

Catching the meaning of my proposal, she turned to go back in her room. "Never mind. I knew it was too much to hope that you could be a decent human being."

"Think of it this way, I was going to take you tonight anyway. If you agree to be good, then we both get something out of it. You get your bath, and I get your cooperation."

She sighed and looked longingly at the door to my bathroom. With a flick of my wand, I turned on the taps in my large marble tub. Steam floated out tantalizingly out of the bathroom and danced across the ceiling of my room.

With a huff and a little stamp of her foot, she ground out "Fine!" and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her a little too forcefully.

When I heard her splashing in the water, I quietly opened the door. She was sitting in the tub, surrounded by light pink bubbles that smelt of lavender, her head leaning against the side. With a moan of contentment, she slid under the water and sat back up, water dripping down her face from her soaked hair. She pushed back her sopping mess of hair and caught my eye.

"Door stays open," I ordered.

I stepped back into my room, attempting to control my raging erection. Damnit, I was acting like some hormone-driven teenage boy! Lucius Malfoy doesn't get all hot and bothered by watching some Mudblood girl in the bath.

But the relaxation and utter contentment on her face, her unguarded sounds of pleasure were so alluring. For one insane moment, I wished that she could be that way with me: open and unafraid for once.

I felt the need to possess her. I wanted her more completely than in the way I'd had her so far. Call it a moment of weakness, if you wish. With a rush of power stemming from my sheer need to take complete control of her, I removed her room and replaced the area with the linen closet that had been there before. She would sleep in my bed from now on. She would belong to me in every way possible. She had no need for her own space anymore. Once her door had melted back into the normal wall, I went back to the bathroom.

Leaning against the doorway, I loosened my tie and watched her. She knew I was there but used every ounce of self-control to ignore my roaming eyes and enjoy her bath. When I started unbuttoning my shirt, she said "I thought you said tonight. Not now."

I didn't answer her until I was undressed and sitting in the tub with her. "Come now, Miss. Granger. There's enough room in here for at least three more people and there are bubbles protecting your sense of decency."

She grumbled and sank further into the bubbles. Dunking under once more, she suddenly stood up and tried to clamber over the side of the tub to get out, but I was too quick and grabbed at her wrists. With a startled squeal, she fell back into the water, landing on top of me. She sat very still on my lap, scared to move. "Please, Mr. Malfoy…"

"Shh. Calm yourself. I just noticed that you missed a spot on your back." I pulled a washcloth off the rack on the wall and dunked it in the water. She stiffened when I started making small circles over her spine.

I didn't lie, there was a smudge on her back, and when I had finished wiping it off I said, "There. That's better."

"Can I go now?"

"If you'd like," I answered. She had kind of relaxed into my arms by the time I had finished washing her, sitting on the ledge in the tub on one side of me and extending her legs over my lap. Her knees brushed against my chest and her head almost was resting on my shoulder.

Surprisingly, instead of getting up, she laid her head against my shoulder. "Sometimes, like the times I fell asleep in your bed or like now, it's hard to remember that you hate me." She sat up and giggled. "What the _hell_ is in this bubble bath?"

"Which bottle did you use?"

"The crystal one." She pointed at a bottle.

"Oh, that's just Severus's relaxation bath. He thought I needed to loosen up."

"Do you feel it, too?"

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. It didn't help. "Mmmm… I guess I do. I never tried it before. I like it."

She giggled again. "I should be running away screaming," she said as she snuggled against me, "but I'm just too comfortable." I rested my chin on the top of her head. "Lucius?" I knew I should have been mad at her informal use of my first name, but I couldn't bring myself to care. "Why don't you kiss?"

"Hmm?"

"Yesterday under the influence of the potion when I tried to kiss you, you told me that you didn't kiss."

"I haven't kissed anyone since I was still in love with my wife. She was the last person I ever kissed."

"When was that?"

"The day Draco was born."

"What happened?"

"Enough questions. Relax."

"It's too bad that you don't kiss, really. I bet you're really good at it. You're really good at other stuff. I always saw kissing as so romantic and sensual."

"If I kissed you now, would you shut up?" I snapped.

"I dunno. Maybe." She pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes. "I need to get out of this bath. It's making me loopy." She untangled herself from me and managed to get herself out of the bath. Grabbing a towel off the rack, she wrapped it around herself and went into the bedroom. I sank further into the warm perfection of the bath. Why hadn't I used Severus's concoction earlier? It was divine. I never felt so relaxed.

"LUCIUS MALFOY!" I heard her scream from the bedroom. So much for relaxation. "WHERE THE HELL IS MY ROOM?"


	16. Chp 15: How Badly She Wanted a Book

I dragged myself out of the blissfulness of the bath and grabbed my black silk bathrobe off the back of the bathroom door. I entered my bedroom as I was tying it closed.

She was standing at the wall that once had the door to her little room, running her hands over the smooth surface. "Where did it go?" she asked accusingly.

"I decided that you no longer needed your little hideaway," I answered. "You'll be spending most of your time in my bed and last night proved that you'd rather fall asleep with me than alone. Plus, my wife and son now know the nature of our relationship. There's really no reason for you to have your own space."

"What do you mean that I'll be spending most of my time in your bed?" She looked frightened at the prospect. Unconsciously, she wrapped the fluffy towel that she had exited the bathroom in tighter around herself.

"Once I finish editing the first draft of a new law for the Minister, I find myself completely without work for a week or so. What better way to train you than totally immerse ourselves in the activity that you are being trained in?"

She gulped and turned back to the wall as if hoping that her door would magically appear.

"I'm going to my office to finish going over the law," I told her as I pulled on some pants. After I got dressed, I grabbed the stack of papers on the table by the fire. "Take a nap," I suggested. "We probably won't be getting to sleep until late tonight."

It took me the rest of the afternoon to painstakingly go through the long document and make sure everything was worded correctly. Satisfied with my work, I sent off my corrections to the Minister and went back to my room to get ready for dinner.

She was staring out the window when I walked into the room. I busied myself at my dresser, picking out a fresh shirt to go to dinner in. "I miss the outside," she sighed.

"Well, maybe if you behaved every once and awhile, I'd be more inclined to let you have some things you wanted," I replied.

"Like a book, maybe?" she asked, nervously playing with the hem of her robe.

"Maybe." I buttoned up the fresh shirt and slipped on my tie.

"I would behave for a book. It's like I can feel my brain shrinking."

"If you're so eager, then I have a proposal for you." She eyed me wearily. "I shall bring you down to dinner tonight. You will kneel at my side and not make a sound, no matter what remarks my wife and son make. If you can accomplish this, than I will bring you a book."

She looked unsure, torn between the embarrassment of having to acknowledge her lowly status in front of Draco and the desire to have reading material. "I just have to kneel there?"

"And show yourself to be the picture of a respectful and obedient servant."

"Ok." She surprised me. I never thought that she would go for it.

"Alright, then. You shall follow three steps behind me, kneel at my left side, and bow your head. You are not to speak unless _I_ speak to you."

"And I'll get my book?"

"If I deem your performance worthy, I shall bring you a book tomorrow." I looked at the clock "We should head down now."

I opened the door and headed down the hallway without a backwards glance. I could hear her bare feet shuffling softly against the rich carpet behind me. Smiling inwardly, I led her to the dining room.

Narcissa was already seated at her customary position at the right hand of the head of the table. Surprisingly, Severus occupied the left side. Draco sat next to him.

Draco noticed me first. "He stopped by to talk to you and I invited him to stay," he explained.

Narcissa looked up and her face darkened when she noticed the girl hovering behind me like a shadow. "See, Severus? Even now he parades around his Mudblood whore!" The body behind me stiffened. Ignoring Narcissa, I sat down at the head of the table. The girl kneeled down and bowed her head, avoiding the stares from my irate wife and her former professor.

Severus peered down at her. "Such a drastic change in a few short weeks, Lucius."

I laid my hand on top of her head and played with her hair. She frowned but didn't move. "Yes, I'm quite proud of the outcome so far."

Narcissa was barely containing her rage next to me. "Did you know that Lucius is fucking her? I don't see how he can do it; she's such an ugly thing. Plus, she's tainted with dirty blood."

Draco nearly spit out his drink laughing, but quickly controlled himself when all three of the adults looked at him. "Yes, I was aware, Narcissa," Severus said. "He has a great honor bestowed upon him by our Master."

"I can't believe this! Can no one see how this is tearing apart our family? Does no one else care?"

"Calm yourself, Narcissa. You seem to be the only one perturbed by this. Even Draco would find it an honor," I said.

"Yes, Father, I would. I would do the Dark Lord's bidding with pride and would love to put the Mudblood in her place." I believe that only the presence of my hand on the girl's head prevented her from saying anything in her own defense.

My wife stood up and stormed out of the room. "I'm going to stay at my sister's!" she screamed back at me.

Acting like nothing happened, Draco moved into his mother's empty spot and we commenced eating. Dinner after that was an uneventful affair. We chatted about mundane things and lingered afterward with wine.

I could tell exactly when her knees started to ache because the girl beside me started fidgeting. She gave a little whimper. I scooted back my chair to make room and pulled her onto my lap to shut her up. And maybe show her off a little. She looked nervously at Draco and Severus and said, "I'd rather kneel, thank you."

"Severus, Draco, could you please wait for me in the library?"

"Come, Draco, let's raid your father's Firewhiskey," Severus suggested, catching the hint that I wanted a moment alone with the girl.

When they left, I fixed her with a pointed look. "What?" she asked. "I was respectful! I said 'thank you'. You were just trying to embarrass me in front of Draco and Professor Snape! The first time I've seen him since potions class and I'm kneeling as a slave…"

"He's seen you before today. Naked, in fact."

"What?" she screeched. "When?"

"When you were sick."

"Oh, Merlin. Just kill me now!" she moaned, hiding her face in her hands.

Gently, I pushed her so she was standing up. I ran my hands down her arms. "Go wait for me in the bedroom. I'll be up after drinks." We walked into the hallway together and I watched her go up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, she turned around and looked at me carefully. "Have you not kissed anyone since your wife because you don't want to ruin that last happy memory you have of her or because you're worried that every woman you kiss will eventually turn into such a cold person?"

"Get in the room now before I hex you into tomorrow, you stupid Mudblood."

"Because if I were you, I would kiss as many people as possible to forget that I ever willfully loved such a horrid person."

"Go!"

"Or maybe you're just scared, Lucius Malfoy, of the intimacy of kissing. You're scared to ever get that close to another human being again after her."

I took my wand out and made it half-way up the stairs before she had dashed into the room and slammed the door. When I heard my door close behind her, I locked it with a wave of my wand. Then, I quickly made my way to the library before Draco and Severus could polish off my bottle of Firewhiskey without me.

I returned to my room two hours later, intent on berating her for her earlier insubordination. I might have even reintroduced her to the Cruciatus Curse. My anger escalated as I took in the scene before me. She was curled up on the bed. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly and evenly. She should have been up and waiting for me to return as I had instructed! "If you're trying to feign sleep to get out of sex…" I let my warning trail off.

She didn't move. I sat on the edge of the bed, expecting a flinch or give some other indication that she was awake. Nothing. The only movement was the gently rise and fall of her chest and the flickering of her eyes behind her eyelids. So she was legitimately asleep, then. And apparently dreaming.

"What is going on in that head of yours?" I murmured, anger abating slightly, as I brushed hair out of her face.

Taking out my wand, I put the tip to her temple and whispered, "_Legilimens_!"


	17. Chp 16: How I Invaded Her Dream

Entering someone's mind while they are dreaming is like jumping into deep water: there's a moment of confusion, where you can't tell up from down, and then you get your bearings and break the surface to where everything makes sense.

Once I got my bearings, I recognized that I was in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Desks were set up in rows and students were scribbling frantically on pieces of parchment. It didn't take me long to find her. She was sitting in the exact middle of the room so focused on her work that she didn't sense me walk up behind her.

As I peered over her shoulder, I nearly rolled my eyes. Of course, Hermione Granger would dream of taking her NEWTS. It was the written portion of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and from what I could see of her answers, she was being as specific as possible.

She sighed, folded up her exam, and looked up at me. "You would show up in the first normal dream I've had since I was kidnapped," she said. "I just can't seem to get away from you."

She went up to hand in her exam and then walked back towards me. I followed her out to the grounds where she plopped down under a tree by the lake. "I can understand why I can't find Harry and Ron here," she informed me. "My subconscious knows that they aren't at Hogwarts. They are out in the world somewhere trying to defeat Voldemort. But why are you here?"

"It's your mind, you tell me." I sat down next to her.

"I guess it makes sense. You are basically the only person I ever see. The only person I ever interact with. You are the center of my world now." She lay back, basking in the sun. She was so relaxed and different than herself in real-life. It was interesting to see what I could only assume was her normal personality outside of how I had gotten to know her.

She propped herself up on an elbow and looked up at me. "This is my dream, right?"

"It's most definitely not mine." She sat up and we looked out at the lake, pressed shoulder to shoulder. When I looked over at her, I caught her staring. "What's so interesting?" I asked.

"You are," she answered, catching a lock of my hair between her fingers. I caught her wrist and shuffled away so we weren't touching. I didn't like her intimate boldness. She frowned. "If it's my dream, I can do what I want."

"And what do you want, Miss. Granger?"

She crawled into my lap and laid her head on my chest. "I want to kiss you. I want you to kiss me. I want you to stop being the only thing that runs through my mind all the time. I want you to be the only thing on my mind. I don't know!" She jumped up and paced in front of me. "I should hate you, but every day I find it harder to. Is this Stockholm Syndrome?" She stopped pacing and looked down at me. She was out of breath from her outburst. "Maybe you're here so I can work out all these feelings."

"I refuse to be your therapist."

She knelt beside me. There was a fire in her eyes. "I don't want your advice. I don't even want you to listen to me vent. I want you to kiss me so I know once and for all what the hell is going on!"

I raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I catch you looking at me, Lucius. Looks that make my stomach do flips and makes me feel funny. Something's going on here!"

"Let's get this straight, Mudblood. Absolutely nothing is going on here. And nothing ever will! You are going to the Dark Lord and that is that!"

"It's my dream! Kiss me! I have more to lose from it than you! I'd be betraying the Order, Harry, Ron, my parents… Everyone! What would you have to lose? Respect from the cold-hearted bitch you call a wife?"

I stood up and pushed her against the tree. "You go too far," I warned.

Tears accumulated at the corners of her eyes. "Kiss me, Lucius," she whispered. "Please. It's killing me. I have to know if I'm going crazy or if I'm actually falling for you."

I staggered back. Falling for me? The girl was definitely crazy.

She used my momentary shock to take the opportunity to throw herself into my arms. Before I could comprehend what was happening, a soft, warm mouth was pressed against mine. She emitted an exasperated sigh when I didn't respond and pulled away. "It's just a dream, Lucius. My dream. Just let it happen. The real-you isn't even going to know if you let go and kiss me."

"_If only you knew_," I thought to myself.

She pulled me down to her level by my tie and I let her. Her tongue traced across my lips, asking me to allow her access to my mouth. "_Oh, why not_?" I gave in. Our tongues met and her moan of appreciation was enough for me. I kissed her, chasing her tongue into her mouth to explore her. She clung to me as if I were the only thing keeping her upright.

I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her tight against my body. I couldn't believe that I had denied myself such pleasure for almost eighteen years. Apparently, I should have been kissing everyone because this was amazing.

I stopped abruptly, realizing that this was just her dream. It wasn't really happening. She whimpered at the loss. Making a snap decision, I pulled out of her mind and found myself thrown to the floor of my bedroom.

She was still asleep on the bed, curled up as she had been before. But now, a small smile graced her lips.

"Damnit!" I cursed at her sleeping form. "You're not supposed to have such power over me!" I stood over her, trying to figure out her what she had that called to me so. I couldn't figure it out, but I did know that I wanted to kiss her again. In real life. I wanted to really experience a kiss with her. And Lucius Malfoy gets what he wants.

I lay down next to her on the bed and hovered above her, supporting my weight on my elbow. With a slow, deliberate movement, I lowered my lips to hers. She reacted instantly and kissed back, bringing her hands up to hold the sides of my face to deepen the kiss.

After a few moments, she stopped and looked up at me, searching my eyes for something. Then, she giggled. "What's so funny?" I snapped.

"It's just that if you ever found out that I was having a sex dream about you, you'd never let me live it down. You'd torture me mercilessly with that information."

She reached up to restart the kiss, but I took her hand and pinched the sensitive underside of her arm. "Ow!" she cried. "What was that for?" She sat up angrily. I could tell the moment that she realized that she wasn't dreaming anymore. Horror dawned in her eyes as she took in the familiar surroundings of my room. "Shit."

"Language, Miss. Granger," I drawled.

"Did you invade my dream?" she asked, getting out of the bed and backing up towards the wall.

"Yes, and it was so… enlightening." I smirked. "What would your parents think? What would Harry think? What would your dear _Ronald_ think if he knew that you fancied yourself in love with Lucius Malfoy?"

She slid down the wall and huddled into herself. "It was a dream. It meant nothing!"

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself? Besides, you got something out of it. I thoroughly intend to kiss you now, as much as I can. I guess I owe you my thanks for opening my eyes to that delightful activity."

She let out a shaky breath and wiped away tears. I walked over to her and lifted her up. "I own every part of you, Hermione Granger. I own your body." I traced a finger around her breast. She shivered. "I own your mind." I tapped at the Mark on her lower back to remind her of its powers. Her eyes glazed over for a moment. She shook her head. "And now I know that I own your heart." I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and leaned into me.

"And what about my soul?" she asked breathlessly.

"I guess I shall leave that for the Dark Lord to conquer."

I had been moving slowly backwards, pulling her along with me towards the bed, but she stopped dead at my last sentence. She snatched her hand out of mine. "I'd rather just be brought to him now than be toyed with like this."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." I threatened coldly. She hugged herself against my biting remark. "If you feel so strongly about it, I'm sure he wouldn't be adverse to you being delivered to him tonight."

Panic flashed in her eyes. "You know I didn't mean it. I know I'm better off here with you than with him."

"You should show a little appreciation, then," I said softly, trailing fingers down her cheek. She pulled back. "I do remember you promising to be the picture of a respectful and obedient servant earlier tonight. At this rate, you'll never get a book or see the outside," I warned. She stepped closer, lured by the chance of getting her hands on reading material. "Good girl," I murmured, lowering my lips to hers.

She stood stiff and unyielding against my mouth but leaned into me with a sigh after a few minutes of gentle coaxing with my lips and hands. So easy to manipulate.

We had made it onto the bed with her trapped beneath me. She was making delicious sounds as I plundered her mouth with my tongue and my hands crept up her robes. Suddenly, I pulled away with a hiss of pain, grabbing at my left forearm. My Mark was burning. He was calling me. Through my mind, I heard "Bring the girl" like a faint whisper.

She was looking up at me with concern etched into her face. "He's calling you?"

I got out of bed and ran to my closet, pulling out my mask and Death Eater robes. "Yes, and apparently he wants you to come as well."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know." To be honest, I was worried. Why did he need to see her? "So pull yourself together. We leave immediately. It's not wise to keep him waiting. The consequences get more dire the longer we tarry."

Her eyes widened but she smoothed out her mussed hair and wrinkled robes. I held out my hand and she took it, trembling slightly. I pulled her against me and we Apparated to Voldemort's manor.


	18. Chp 17: How She Participated in Death

Severus was waiting for us when we Apparated into the front foyer of Voldemort's manor. He looked on edge.

"Do you know what's going on?" I asked.

"The Dark Lord will not tell me anything. That's what worries me. I've seen Bellatrix and Rodolphus. They don't know what's happening either. He's waiting to talk to you before he calls the rest of us."

"He's in the dining room?"

"Yes. It's set up for a full meeting. Even the peons will be called. Something big happened…" The girl had been hovering behind me. I pulled at her arm to have her follow me into the dining room. Severus stopped me. "He wants to see you alone. I am to watch the girl until you have finished speaking with him."

"Behave yourself," I ordered. She inclined her head.

I walked over to the closed doors to the dining room and knocked. They opened automatically and closed behind me when I stepped inside. The last view I got of the girl was her stepping behind Severus. I guess that since I wasn't there to hide her, she latched on to the next best person. I didn't blame her, especially since she had the knowledge that Bellatrix was running about somewhere near. At least the girl had the good sense to be wary. That would hopefully keep her alive tonight.

The room was long and dark, only illuminated by a scarce few candles lit on the walls. A huge maple table was set up in the middle. There were enough chairs around it to seat only the Death Eaters of the Inner Circle. The lower-ranking ones would have to stand around the outskirts of the room.

Voldemort was sitting at the head of the table in his large, red velvet chair. He seemed deep in thought. I couldn't tell if he was in a good mood or a bad mood. Silently, I begged Merlin that it was a good mood. I really didn't want to have to endure the Cruciatus Curse tonight. Or have him take his anger out on the girl…

"Lucius, how goes training the Mudblood?" he asked in his high whisper.

Was I called here to give her over? Was the whole Death Eater army going to be called here to witness some sort of ceremony of him taking possession of her? I swallowed the bit of panic I felt at having to part with her and cleared my throat. "It goes well, my Lord. Although, there is still work to be done."

"Is she as disobedient as when you first started working with her?"

"No, my Lord, but she still retains her fiery spirit."

"Good, good. I never doubted you, Lucius, even when Severus asked to have a try at her."

"I was unaware that Severus questioned my competence."

"He seemed to believe that you had gotten too lenient with her."

Oh, really? Well, I was going to have to have a little chat with him about going behind my back with this… "Everything is going fine. I do admit that she may need a refresher in respecting her betters, but I promise that you will be pleased with her."

"I assumed that she may need some sort of refresher, which is why I asked you to bring her along. I want her to witness what happens tonight. She will no doubt be reminded of whom she is dealing with." He smiled. A good mood, then.

"May I ask what you have achieved, my Lord?"

"I had sent some of the newer recruits on some insane mission to get them out of my hair, never thinking that they would be successful. They proved me quite wrong and have broken in to a Blood-traitor's home, even though it was heavily warded. The group of fifteen young men has captured the family members that were home and brought them here tonight. I intend to force the family to take the Mark so I can control them or kill them if they resist. What a blow it will be to the Order!" He laughed joyously.

"And what if they force you to kill them? Will you not torture them first for information?"

"I find your lack of faith in me insulting. We've already gotten all the information out of them that we can. And with Severus's steady stream of information coming in from his spy work, what they were able to tell us is all old news to me."

"I apologize. I should have known that you would have thought ahead, my Lord. Which family is it?" I asked, knowing there was only one Blood-traitor family important enough to the girl that her presence would be desired.

"The Weasley family, of course."

He had Severus and I sit in our customary seats on either side of him for the meeting. He positioned the girl to stand behind him. She had both a good view of where the night's activity was going to occur and it made it obvious that she belonged to him.

She was terrified. Severus and I had to basically drag her to Voldemort before the meeting. She was shaking violently and nearly fainted when he whispered "I look forward to when your training with Lucius is complete" into her ear. Only my grip on her arm kept her upright. After that, I was surprised that she was able to stand behind Voldemort's chair without falling to the ground.

Once the four of us were in position (I'm not the only one with a flair for the dramatic!), Voldemort lifted the sleeve of his robe and pressed on his own Dark Mark to call the rest of the troops. After a couple of seconds, the room was filled with people. The Inner Circle sat in the chairs around the table. Everyone else stood along the walls of the room. The room was buzzing with theories of why a full meeting was called. Besides Voldemort, I was the only one in the room privy to that information.

Draco caught my eye from the side of the room and raised a questioning eyebrow. I gave him a nod and a smirk to let him know that he was going to enjoy the reason for this meeting.

The Dark Lord stood up, pushing back his chair which caused the girl to stumble back several steps. The room immediately fell silent. "My loyal Death Eaters," he began.

"My Lord," we all replied as one voice.

"Tonight is a treat for you all. You get to watch the downfall of a Blood-traitor family."

The excited buzzing started up again. Behind Voldemort, the girl paled and had to grip the chair to avoid collapsing to the ground. This caught the attention of Voldemort who turned to face her. He gave her an evil smile. "Miss. Granger has already correctly guessed which family," he informed us after reading her mind. "Please, Hermione, enlighten the rest of the room who will be hauled through the doors." She shook her head and gripped at the chair more tightly, her knees weak. "Bring them!" Voldemort shouted.

The doors opened and through them came several redheads at the ends of the wands of the new recruits who managed to capture them. They were all bloodied and haggard-looking. It seems that they all went through a nice, long torture session as Voldemort had indicated earlier. I only counted nine recruits. The Weasleys had managed to take some of them down.

The rest of the Order must not have been aware of their capture yet because even Severus looked surprised. His position as a spy for Voldemort in the Order usually made him aware of most news before any other Death Eater.

The Weasley family was lined up at the foot of the table, facing Voldemort and the rest of the people in the room. Their captors stayed at their backs, wands raised. Only six of the nine Weasleys were present. The youngest would be at Hogwarts. One of the middle ones apparently had a cushy job at the ministry and didn't speak to his family anymore. And Ronald would be with Harry Potter. The rest had been home to help the Order.

"Blimey, Hermione!" one of the twins spoke up. "You're alive!" The girl whimpered and made an unconscious step toward the family, but stopped at the look Voldemort gave her. The matriarch gave her a small, watery smile.

If it had been me running the meeting, she would have been begging for their lives. She would have been throwing a fit and crying. With Voldemort, it was like she was too scared to even move without permission.

"What have you done to her?" the other twin yelled. "If you…" He was silenced by a hex thrown by one of his captors.

"I haven't done anything to her… yet," Voldemort answered. "Lucius has been so kind as to make sure that she's being… taken care of." The last part was definitely an innuendo to the nature of our relationship. Six pairs of angry eyes glared at me. I smiled back. "But before long she shall be released into my custody." He stalked around the trembling girl, running his fingers along her collarbone and back. She closed her eyes in fear and humiliation. I ignored the jealousy growing in my chest. "Lucius has been training her to be such an eager whore and I fully plan on taking advantage that."

Several of the Weasley men attempted to lurch forward to defend her honor but were quickly subdued. They ended up on the floor with gasps of pain. Molly Weasley started crying. "She's only a child!" she sobbed, burying her face in her husband's chest.

"It's so heartwarming to see that you care so much for the Mudblood, even when your own lives hang in the balance." He sat back down again, leaving the girl swaying where she stood. She staggered over to clutch at the back of his chair before she fell. "I give you Weasleys this choice as a family. You must all suffer the same fate. Either you all agree to take the Mark or you all die here tonight. Would you like a moment to come to a consensus?"

Every single one of their faces turned to Arthur Weasley. He looked at each member of his family and then looked Voldemort in the eye. His face hardened. "We had already decided that if it ever came to this, we'd rather die than be forced to join you."

The girl fell to her knees behind the chair and buried her face into the carpet. Huge sobs wracked her body. "Oh, it seems that you've upset Miss. Granger," Voldemort commented.

"It's ok, Hermione," one of the older boys softly said. "Be strong."

Voldemort picked up the quivering mess of a girl and sat her on the edge of the table. He lingered over her. She blinked up at him with wide, puffy eyes, totally silenced by fear. "So you won't join me with the threat of death. But I wonder, would you join to help her?" He slid his hands up the sides of her legs and under her robes, revealing white thighs. She stiffened. "Would you join to save her the humiliation of being raped?"

I gripped the sides of my chair to prevent myself from doing anything stupid. My possessive side was screaming "Don't touch what's mine!" in my head.

"You said you were going to rape her earlier! Whether we join you or not won't change that, I expect," the patriarch bellowed with a sympathetic look to the back of the petrified girl's head.

"Too true." Voldemort took out his wand and shoved it under her chin which caused a chorus of angry shouts from the Weasleys. "But would you allow her to die?"

I gripped the sides of my chair tighter. Some part of me knew that Voldemort wanted to keep her alive, but what actions would he take to get his point across? Severus shot me a questioning look from across the table. I forced myself to relax.

"No, she would welcome death. In fact, she wishes for it. She practically _begs_ for it in her mind. Death is not a punishment for her. _Crucio_!"

The girl fell back on the table, writhing and screaming. She tossed back and forth, attempting to alleviate the pain of the curse. Her eyes sought mine and she ground out, "Please!"

I attempted to look disinterested, but it was hard when she had such trust in her eyes. I managed a sneer and looked away fast before I betrayed to my fellow Death Eaters how attached I had become to her.

Never had I held her under the curse for this long. The Weasleys were yelling at him to stop, that they would reconsider his offer. Only when Severus gently reminded him with a soft, "My Lord, her mind" did he lift the curse. She rolled onto her side in the fetal position, making little pathetic sounds of pain.

"I grow impatient, Arthur Weasley! What is it, yes or no?"

The Weasley patriarch hesitated and looked at his family to see whether they would be willing to change their minds. This little hesitation cost him his life. He was hit with a flash of green light and was no more.

The remaining family members shrieked in grief. The girl moaned, but I couldn't tell whether it was from pain or that she realized what happened through her haze of agony.

"Arthur has chosen all of your fates," Voldemort said coldly. "I can now see that all of you would be quite useless to me as Death Eaters, even though I would enjoy forcing you to do despicable things in my name. Now the only detail left is to decide what order I slaughter you in. Miss. Granger? Would you care to help me decide?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him as if she understood that she was being asked something but didn't know exactly what was wanted of her. "Name a Weasley," he ordered. He laughed at what he read in her mind. "Of course, the first name she thinks when she hears the name Weasley is Ron. Try again."

The Weasleys were huddled around their dead father. The matriarch was kissing each one of the boys and telling them that she loved them. They held on to each other and faced the table with their chins held high.

Suddenly, two shots of green light were emitted from his wand and hit the twins. They fell. Molly Weasley had tears streaking down her face at the loss of her sons. Her pain was short-lived as she was next.

"No, my dear, Ginny isn't here," Voldemort told the girl lying on the table, still reading her mind. "And neither is Percy… No, Arthur is already dead. There you go!" The eldest son fell. "One more left! Which Weasely are you leaving out?"

The last Weasley stood amongst the bodies of his family. He stood tall and still had his chin up, ready to meet death like a man. "Stay brave, Hermione," he called to her. "Don't give up hope."

"Charlie," she breathed at the sound of his voice. She sat up and turned around to look at him. He gave her a sad smile before his life ended. Her eyes followed his decent to the floor where she noticed the pile of bodies. Apparently, her mind had been too addled by the pain of the curse to comprehend what was going on, but with visual evidence strewn across the floor in front of her she realized what had happened. Her mind coped with this information the only way it knew how: she fainted.

Voldemort sat in his chair, pleased with himself. All the Death Eaters who had remained silent up to this point burst into excited and congratulatory shouts. He silenced everyone with a wave of his hand. "Severus," he ordered, "I know you must go to the Order and report on what you've just witnessed. Go." Severus stood up, bowed, and flew out the door. "Lucius, take the girl home and make sure she's not too damaged." I picked up the unconscious girl and made my way to the door. As I was walking down the hall, I heard his last announcement. "I am retiring for the night. You may all do to the bodies as you wish in celebration." I distinctively heard Bellatrix's excited squeal amongst the other happy commotion.

Draco caught up to me at the end of the hall. He looked a little green. "You aren't staying?" I asked.

"I'd rather go home," he answered.

"Death is a part of being in his ranks. You knew that when you joined. Toughen up, boy."

"It's not the death that bothers me. It's what they're doing to the bodies now." He shuddered and looked sick.

I nodded in understanding and we exited the manor together.


	19. Chp 18: How I Soothed Her Tortured Soul

When I arrived back home, I tucked the unconscious girl into my bed and partook in a rather large glass of Firewhiskey. I was sitting there swirling the contents of my glass and staring at her sleeping form when Severus burst into the room, his pockets jingling with several potion bottles.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Alive," I answered.

He rushed over to the bed, uncorking a vial. "Did you even do any diagnostic spells?"

I scowled. "All she needs is rest."

"The Dark Lord was close to killing her tonight, Lucius! She needs more than rest." He pulled out his wand and waved it over her body, noting the colors that different body parts lit up as.

"Why are you here?" I snapped.

Severus stopped his work and stared at me like I was crazy. "I'm making sure all your hard work wasn't for nothing. I'm trying to save her mind. Maybe even her life!" He poured a potion in her mouth and massaged her throat so she would swallow it.

"You seem to think that I am incapable of taking care of her." My voice was low, dangerous.

He administered another potion. "I'm just trying to help, Lucius."

"And were you trying to _help_ when you went behind my back to our Lord and asked to take over her training?"

"Merlin, Lucius! If you want me to leave and let her die, then just say so!"

"I want to know why you seem to have such an interest in her!" I stood up and pushed my way in between him and the girl on the bed.

He backed up a bit and glared at me. "It's purely selfish, I assure you," he spat coldly.

"So you do want to fuck her! Too bad! She's _mine_ and no one touches her but me!"

"She won't be yours forever, Lucius. She belongs to the Dark Lord and you will have to give her over eventually," he said quietly.

"GET OUT!"

Calmly, Severus took out a couple of more vials and lined them on the nightstand. "If you weren't drunk, I'd hex you into next week, but as your friend, I'll forget what happened here tonight. Make sure she takes these when she wakes up. Contact me if she needs anything else."

"I SAID GET OUT!"

He walked out of the room and quietly shut the door. I stood fuming in the center of my room, fighting the urge to break his potions against the wall. A movement from the bed caught my eye. Two wide eyes stared over at me. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to relax myself.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Achy." Her voice was raspy.

"That is to be expected. You should try to sleep more." She nodded and broke eye contact, pulling the covers up more but not closing her eyes. Instead of sleeping, she stared blankly at the wall.

I sighed. After I changed into my favorite black silk pajamas, I slid into bed behind her. I felt her stiffen then start to shake with silent tears. I reached out to roll her over so I could see her face, but as soon as I touched her, she launched herself into my chest and sobbed against me.

"I k-killed them!" she blubbered into my pajama shirt. "Ron is going to h-hate m-me and n-never talk to m-me again!"

"Well, the good news there is that you'll most likely never see young Mr. Weasley again and won't have to deal with that," I commented dryly. This only caused her to cry harder. Cursing myself for not keeping my big mouth shut, I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit up and face me. "Now stop that. Stop it!" I gave her a little shake. Surprised, she quieted down and looked up at me through red-rimmed eyes. "I will not have you wallow in this grief, especially if I have to deal with it. You did nothing to cause their deaths. And there was nothing you could have done to save them. If I sense you going down this dark 'woe-is-me' path, I will really give you something to cry about. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good." I pushed the covers off of me and peeled off my soaked shirt, throwing it on the floor. When I looked over, I saw that she was about to take off her robe. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you…"

"You thought I… what? That I was going to use this opportunity to get an easy fuck out of you?" For some reason, I was really angry.

"But you…"

"Yes, I took my shirt off. It was wet from your tears and uncomfortable."

"Oh." She looked uneasy and straightened out her robe. Then, she seemed to gather courage from somewhere and looked straight into my eyes. "Could we?"

I was stunned silent for a few moments. "Are you asking me to fuck you?" My voice kind of got high at the end of the question. I want to say it was because of the excitement of _her_ asking _me_, but it was from the fear of what that night had done to her for her to actually ask to be taken advantage of.

She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands. "I just feel so bad. So guilty. So horrible. And when you… touch me… you make me feel good. I forget about everything except the pleasure you give me. I need that now." She shifted, leaning her body against mine. "Please?"

Who was I to deny such pretty little begging? I rolled over and captured her mouth with mine, delighting in the little moan of pleasure she gave as my body covered hers. When my tongue met hers, she arched up against me. I chased her tongue back into her mouth and explored the warm, wet cavern there. Her hands came up to caress my chest.

I leaned back briefly to pull her robes off over her head and tug off my pajama bottoms. We groaned in unison as our naked skin met from head to foot. I reoccupied my mouth with hers and let my hands rove about her breasts, tweaking and pinching her nipples. Her breath came in little hitches into my mouth as she emitted little squeaks. My hand wandered to in between her thighs, where I found evidence of her arousal in the form of a sweet wetness that drove me insane.

As I encircled the little bundle of nerves that caused her to buck against me, I felt her legs close around me and her feet hook behind my hips. I pulled away and watched her face as I stroked her. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were red. A soft sheen of sweat coated her face and chest. She twisted back and forth, gyrating her hips trying to get more friction.

"More," she breathed. "I need more."

"What do you need?"

She opened her eyes and stared brazenly into mine. "You. Inside me. Now."

I had never seen her like this. The evening had affected her more than I feared if she acted so. But I was intrigued. I wondered how far I could push her down this path of sexual openness. And so I flipped over, dragging her with me. When I settled into the mattress, she was sitting straddling my hips. I folded my hands behind my head and waited.

She looked down at me with curiosity and frustration. "Why did you do that? You should be pounding into me!"

"Use me. Make yourself feel better." She stared blankly at me. "I'm not in the mood to do any work tonight."

Her face burned with the knowledge of my meaning. "You mean… me on top? I can't! It's too exposing. Too much like a performance."

"Up to you. I probably should be getting to sleep anyway. It's very late…"

"No!" she practically shouted. Her hand reached down and grabbed my engorged cock. I hissed in pleasure. "It seems that you are too interested to just roll over and sleep." I continued to lie there impassively. "Fine!"

Still holding on to my cock, she shifted and guided herself down on top of it. Slowly, she eased herself down until I was fully sheathed in her. She paused and then moved experimentally, pulling out a long sigh from both of us. She grinded against my pelvis and then lifted slightly, letting gravity pull her back down quickly. Each time, she lifted herself a bit higher and came down a little more forcefully, grinding herself against me before pulling up again. Soon, she had a rhythm going.

Her whimpers of pleasure increased my own arousal. After a bit, I couldn't stop myself from grabbing onto her hips and meeting her movements with my own thrusts. She leaned forward and her hair created a barrier between us and the rest of the world. I pushed hair out of her eyes so I could watch the pleasure flash across them. She grabbed my hand and held it against her face, then guided it to her breasts. I lightly grazed my touch across them. Her eyes squeezed shut and I knew she was close.

"Come for me," I ordered.

She opened her eyes with a moan and retorted, "Come _with_ me, Lucius."

"Yesssssssss," I hissed. I felt her start to clamp around me which put me over the edge. Our simultaneous climax was the most intense orgasm I have ever experienced. Her walls milked me dry, yet I felt like the pleasure would never end. She was screaming above me and I felt a shout wrenched from me.

She collapsed beside me, sweaty and exhausted. I lied there, breathing heavily, staring at the ceiling and basking in the afterglow. Her face suddenly obstructed my view of my ceiling. She had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked worried. "Can I help you?" I asked irritably.

"Do you know what you shouted when you…?" Her question trailed off.

"I'm sure it was some nonsense that wasn't even words."

Her forehead creased. "You said my name. My proper name. You called me Hermione."

Shit.


	20. Chp 19: How We Lied to Ourselves

Shit shit shit shit shit! Did I really yell her _name_ out?

"I am permitted to call you whatever I'd like to call you," I snapped. "You, however, do not have the privilege of calling me by my given name like you did."

"Sorry." She looked down nervously at her hands. "It slipped out. I didn't mean to. But you have never called me 'Hermione' before. It's always been 'Miss. Granger' or 'girl' or 'Mudblood'. You've always been so impersonal."

"Quiet! That's enough. You forget who the master is and who the servant is here. I do not need to explain myself to you."

She settled down under the covers and faced away from me. "I said I was sorry," she said quietly.

I laid back and switched off the light. I had a feeling we both were awake for a long time, staring into the dark and thinking about what exactly my slip-up could have meant.

The next morning, breakfast was a quiet affair. It was just Draco and me at the table since Narcissa had run off to her sister's in a huff. Draco was still trying to come to grips with what he witnessed the night before and I was just not in the mood to fill the silence.

I had slipped out of bed before the girl woke up and avoided her the rest of the day. I buried myself in unnecessary work and tried not to think of her waiting for me in my room.

I resigned myself to another depressing meal with Draco at dinnertime and was not disappointed. We pushed around our food with only the ticking of the clock to entertain us.

Near the end of the meal, Draco loudly put his cutlery down and looked at me, "What's wrong, Father?" he asked.

I sniffed disdainfully and carefully took another bite of potato. "Nothing, Draco."

His eyes narrowed. "Something happened last night that's put you in a right mood today and I know it wasn't witnessing the Weasleys' deaths so that only leaves the Mudblood. What has happened with her?"

"It's none of your concern and I would appreciate it if you dropped it."

"Did you have a fight?"

"Draco…." I warned.

"Listen. I don't know why, but for some reason Hermione Granger has made you happy." He put his hand up to stop my protest. "You're different, Father. More relaxed. Lighter on your feet. I see you smiling when you think no one is looking. You never smiled before."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I don't like her. In fact, I downright hate her, but I love the effect she's had on you." He stood up and pushed in his chair. "Why don't you bring her down to the library for our after-dinner drinks? I'll behave, she'll forgive you or you'll forgive her for whatever happened, and then I won't have to suffer through your sulking."

He left me alone with that thought and a strange urge to actually take his advice.

An hour later, I sat in the library with a nice glass of red wine. I looked up when Draco sat across from me in the matching leather chair in front of the fire. His eyes widened when he noticed the figure nervously kneeling by my feet on the floor with her own small glass of wine.

"Miss. Granger," he acknowledged. She gave a small nod in response.

"Help yourself to the wine, Draco," I offered. "It's Elf-made and very old."

"Are we celebrating something?" he asked as he accepted a glass from one of the House elves. He looked pointedly at the demure girl. I quickly untangled my fingers from her hair. I didn't even realize that I had been stoking her glossy locks.

"Do I need a reason to crack open my finest bottle of wine?"

"Usually."

"I assure you that there is no reason." No reason except for the personal triumph I had made with the girl in the previous hour. I had her basically crawling after me down the stairs to sit submissively at my side with the mere mention of the possibility of a book. The events of the night before and the boredom of the day had affected her and she was desperate for stimulation – of the mind that is. I had planned to give her another type of stimulation… later. Yes, once again, I had reinstated myself as the unquestionable wielder of power in this relationship. My mishap from the night before was all but forgotten.

"Mmmm… This is quite good. I do believe Professor Snape would enjoy it. You should have invited him. He'll be upset that you didn't share." The girl beside me fidgeted uneasily at the mention of Severus's name.

I sighed. "Did he contact you and ask you to gauge how angry I am at him?"

"Honestly, Father, I don't understand why you are mad with him. He is your closest friend and he's done worse in the past than being envious of something you own."

"He has an unnatural obsession with her and I would rather him stay away until he can control himself."

"I'm sure Professor Snape would restrain himself as to not provoke the Dark Lord's wrath. Plus, she seems to know that the Dark Lord has only permitted you to touch her."

"Indeed." I looked down at the girl who was staring blankly into the fire, a slight blush upon her cheeks. Lifting her up gently by the hand, I led her to stand in front of me and then draped her across my lap. She fell with a tiny squeak and ducked her head to hide her deepening blush. Draco looked uncomfortable. "Would you ever let another besides your master touch you?"

She responded with a faint "No, sir".

"Not even Professor Snape? Even if he tempted you with false promises of rescuing you and returning you to the Order in exchange for your body?"

"Never, sir."

"Who do you belong to?" She frowned and seemed to struggle with that answer. I knew we were both thinking about when I had to give her up to the Dark Lord. I rephrased the question. "Who is your master now?"

She hesitated, hating the word master, but then looked at the books stacked around her longingly. Licking her lips, she looked into my eyes. "You, sir."

"What a good submissive my girl is." I traced her cheek with my finger and watched her eyes close contently. I had the urge to ravish her there and then. "Draco, I advise you to leave. Quickly." I heard him scramble to across the room. When the door shut, I attacked her mouth. She made a needy sound and wound her arms around me.

I picked her up without breaking the kiss and made my way to the door to bring her upstairs. She leaned away. "A book?" she reminded me. I growled in frustration. How could she still be thinking about a book? "You promised!" I grabbed the closest book, shoved it into her hands, and continued the kiss while climbing the stairs.

I threw her onto the bed and stepped back to rid myself of my clothes. She held the book in her hands as if it were gold. She glanced at the title and her face fell. "_Goblin Banking in Britain 1800-1850_," she read in a disappointed voice. I gave her a warning look as I loosened my tie. "Not that I'm complaining…" She set the book on the nightstand and pulled off her robe.

When I looked up again, she had settled against the pillows fully naked and was watching me undress. I felt a thrill go through me at the sight of her full and eager attention on me. I quickly finished undressing and joined her on the bed.

We lay beside each other, facing the other but barely touching. She shyly brought up a hand and put it over my heart. I tucked a stray curl behind her ear so her face wasn't hidden.

"What's changed?" she mused in a whisper.

"What do you mean? Nothing's changed," I answered gruffly.

"It's stopped feeling like rape. It's stopped feeling like a duty or a survival strategy to let you have your way." She sighed and laid her head down against my chest. "I can't explain it and I'm still not convinced it isn't some twisted form of Stockholm Syndrome. It's just different."

I pushed her away. "Everything is the same. This is only me preparing you for the Dark Lord's use."

She sat up and leaned over me so I was forced to look up into her eyes. "You are many things, Lucius Malfoy," she stated, "but I have never known you to be a liar. You've never lied to me so don't start lying now." She leaned down and kissed me softly. "You don't have to admit it out loud, just don't lie to me."

She settled back down and snuggled against me. My arms automatically held her close. "You are too bold, Mudblood. And you talk too much. One would think I haven't taught you anything during your time here." My words, meant to come out with venom, sounded far too adoring for my taste. She giggled and kissed my neck.

I was content to just fall asleep with her in my arms that night. No sex, no games, no torture. Just the two of us in our own little world where nothing was expected of either of us.

Merlin. What had she _done _to me?


	21. Chp 20: How My Life Fell Apart

I was reluctantly thrust from my peaceful slumber by an annoying tapping. Groaning, I turned over and buried my face in my pillow, reaching out to pull the girl back into my arms and hopefully find another few hours' sleep. She allowed herself to be pulled into my embrace with a happy sigh.

"There's an owl at your window," she commented as she molded herself to my body.

"Screw the bloody owl."

"It's quite insistent."

I cursed and stumbled over to the window, letting in a burst of frigid air in along with the owl. It held out its foot to me and I took the letter. It didn't wait for a reply.

I cursed again as I read the letter. "Bad news?" the girl asked from the bed. She was sitting up with her back against the headboard and the book I had grabbed last night opened on her lap. She was more than halfway done with it already. She must have gotten up with the sun to start it.

"Take your time with that book. I may not be generous enough to allow another one after I get back from the business I must attend to."

"You need to go into the Ministry?"

"For the day, yes." I focused on dressing and she went back to reading.

"Did you know that from 1832 to 1833, Goblin banking increased 70%? It was the biggest jump ever in history."

"How can you find that book interesting?" I asked.

"I make do with what I'm given." She smiled at me through the mirror. I raised my eyebrow at her.

I straightened my hair and gathered papers from the table by the fireplace. "I should be back by dinner," I told her as I stuffed the papers into a briefcase. "The House-elves will bring you meals. Don't venture out of the room and I'll make sure that no one ventures in."

She nodded in understanding and shuffled to the end of the bed where I was standing. She knelt up to straighten my tie. "I was hoping that we would spend the day in bed… together."

Her breath hitched as I grabbed her chin and kissed her forcefully. "Tonight."

"I hope today goes well," she said as I left the room.

I shut the door behind me and walked over to Draco's room. He sleepily sat up as I opened his door. "Wha-?" he mumbled.

"I was called into the Ministry for an emergency. I will be gone all day. You are not to go in my room and bother her. Understood? I will know if you do."

"K…" He flopped back and was snoring again by the time I closed the door.

I don't know who considered it an emergency and who felt the need to call me in, but I was going to hex them. The head of the International Relations Department, a thick man appointed by Voldemort himself, thought that a minor incident in Salem, Massachusetts warranted a grade 2 shutdown of the entire Ministry. It had nothing to do with my duties within the Ministry and it got me stuck in hours of unnecessary meetings and paperwork. I was beyond angry.

It was long past dinner when I returned home. All I wanted was a stiff drink and to go to bed. I thought about going straight upstairs to her but the soft glow of the fire in the library in the otherwise dark house peaked my curiosity.

"Draco?" I called out as I made my way toward the door.

Instead of Draco's voice, I was greeted by the high whisper of Voldemort. "Come here, Lucius," he ordered. My stomach dropped. It's never good news when the Dark Lord makes himself comfortable in your home.

I cautiously entered the room. He was sitting in my favorite chair by the fire, drinking my expensive Firewhiskey. At his feet, knelt the girl. She was visibly shaking and had tears streaking down her cheeks. Her eyes pleaded with me to get her out of her current situation.

"Good evening, my Lord."

"Sit, please, Lucius," Voldemort said as he gestured to the opposite chair. I sat down stiffly. The girl attempted to move over to my side, but was restrained by a hand on her shoulder. "I trust that everything at the Ministry is sorted out?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good." His hand moved from her shoulder to her neck, where he stroked it absentmindedly. She flinched and let out a small sob. "Hush, I haven't even touched you yet," he admonished. So he hadn't taken any liberties with her. Good. I relaxed a bit. "Since I knew that you would be gone all day, I had decided to come and better acquaint myself with Miss. Granger."

"I hope you found her accommodating."

"I never got around to finding out. In fact, I had just gotten her settled down when you came in the door."

"She was being difficult?"

"No. You misunderstand me. She wasn't even _here_ when I arrived. Which I found odd."

I frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

"The house was empty when I got here. I searched everywhere for her and came to the conclusion that you must have made other arrangements for her for the day. But none of my faithful Death Eaters had any idea where she could be. I came back here about an hour ago to confront you. That's when I found her curled up sobbing in the grass _outside your gates_." Anger bubbled under his words.

"That's impossible. I made it so you had to have the Dark Mark to enter or leave the gates. And I checked to make sure the Mark on her back would not interfere with that. She had to have been accompanied by a Death Eater to get out there!"

"She was. My dear, why don't you tell the story?" He tapped her sharply on the head.

She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and shook her head slowly. "Who took you out, Miss. Granger?" I snapped.

"Draco and Professor Snape," she whispered.

"Why?" I was so angry that I was seeing red. Of course, Severus would take the opportunity to take what he's so long wanted when I was called away. But why would Draco help? I gripped the sides of my chair to prevent myself from hurling something breakable against the wall.

"They brought me back to the Order."

The Dark Lord launched himself out of the chair and paced in front of the fire. "Traitors! Both of them! They will pay, Lucius. I will have everyone looking for them. I shall kill them with my own hand."

I panicked. Draco? A traitor? "I'm sure Draco had nothing to do with it, my Lord. Severus must have coerced him somehow."

"Silence!" he roared. "No matter what the circumstances, he still tried to help her escape! As much as it pains me to kill the end of a Pureblood line, you are still of breeding age, Lucius, and can have another child without much difficulty. But he must not be allowed to live. He will be made an example of."

"But she isn't with the Order! She came back! Maybe Draco brought her back and had just gone with Severus for proof that _he_ is the traitor."

"She came back of her own accord. She seems to be quite attached to you. And Draco's absence seems to establish his guilt."

I covered my eyes with my hands. "My son. A traitor. I don't want to believe it."

Voldemort turned from where he had been leaning on the mantle to stare into the flames. "Believe it. If it is any consolation, I will make his death quick. Severus shall suffer." His gaze ran over the girl sobbing silently on the floor next to the chair. "The fact that she came back on her own testifies to your successful work with her, though. With that I am pleased. She was safe at the Order and still returned to you. I think it is time for a trial night with me. You will deliver her to my manor at dinnertime tomorrow." With that, he swept out of the room.

As soon as the front door slammed behind him, the girl crawled over to me and knelt in front of me. I stared down my nose at her. She attempted to take my hands in hers, but I only gripped the armrest of the chair tighter. "Why did you come back?" I hissed. "Why couldn't you have just stayed away? The trouble you bring isn't worth anything you have to offer me!"

She laid her head in my lap and her body shook with silent tears. "I was sitting in the Order headquarters. I was safe. I was surrounded by friends. But you weren't there! You are the center of my world and without you, I am nothing. I couldn't go back. After what I've been through, they'd treat me like porcelain. They would have walked on eggshells around me. I'd live a protected and sheltered life."

"So you came back here for a life of confinement and torture?"

"I came back here for you! I ran out and did _wandless_ Apparition. Do you know how badly I wanted to get back here, how much magic I drained out of my core to be able to do that? I'll never be able to do that again. And I did it to get back to you."

"Well, you shouldn't have. I can't even stand to look at you, you pathetic Mudblood." I pushed her off of me and stood over her. She stood up and tried to touch me. I flinched back to avoid it. "Don't touch me. I don't ever want any part of your dirty body to touch me ever again."

"Why are you mad at me? I did nothing wrong!" She backed up and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked so lost that I almost went over to hold her, but I held onto my anger and kept my distance.

"You did nothing wrong?" I asked in a deadly whisper. "My life was fine without you! As soon as you came into it, everything went to Hell! My wife left me! My best friend turned traitor! Voldemort is going to kill my son!" I turned around to hide the tears threatening to pour down from my eyes. I hadn't cried since I was ten and I wasn't about to restart now. "My son…" My voice cracked.

She crept closer to offer me comfort. Instead of the hug she was expecting, she got a hard slap across the face. We both stood there stunned at what I had done.

"I know it seems hopeless now…" she started.

With a growl, I launched across the space between us and grabbed her hair. She struggled as I pulled her out of the room and down the hallway. I shoved her through a once-familiar door and slammed it behind her.

She slept in the dungeon that night.


	22. Chp 21: How We Readied Ourselves

Dear Father,

I'm OK. I'm safe. We were taken to a safe-house by the Order.

I'm sorry. Before I took the Mark, I went to Professor Snape and the Order. In return for their protection, I've been helping Professor Snape gather information.

I never wanted to be part of that world. It scared me. And I knew that you would never take "no" for an answer. Professor Snape always told us Slytherins that we didn't have to follow in our parents' footsteps. That we had options. So I decided to escape Voldemort and life as a Death Eater, but first I wanted to repay the Order in any information I could get as a spy.

We really botched up the rescue attempt. She was supposed to go free and no one would know it was us. Right now you and I were supposed to be having drinks in the library as usual, but I fear I shall never see you again.

Be kind to Hermione, Father. It wasn't her fault. Plus, for some reason, she's in love with you. We had to drag her out of the manor and she only was able to run off from the Order because someone didn't lock the front door properly. She's a gift, Father, and you should accept her. Maybe she's the one who can save you from the darkness like the Order saved me.

I'm afraid I won't be able to write again and you won't be able to send a response. The owl won't be able to find us once the wards are activated in the safe-house, which they intend to do as soon as I'm finished with the letter.

I love you and I hope you can forgive me.

Your son,

Draco

Lucius-

Draco is safe with me. I did not push him to join the Order. He made that decision all on his own. As for me, I haven't been Voldemort's man for a long time so this was not some sudden betrayal on my part.

Tell Miss. Granger that for her lack of intelligence and common sense in her decision to go back to you, I take 50 points from Gryffindor. It shall be my last piece of business as Headmaster, as one can not run a school from an undisclosed location. Care for her as she cares for you.

The Order will always take you into their folds if you find the life as a Death Eater no longer suitable for you. You always have options.

-Severus

The owl hooted solemnly from the windowsill as I slowly burned both letters in the fire in my room. Earlier, I had burned a blood-red envelope that contained a Howler from Narcissa without opening it and letting it scream at me. Bellatrix's letter that had arrived with Narcissa's sat on my desk, unopened. I wanted to read it, but couldn't bring myself to just yet. I knew it would contain consoling remarks about how I did what I could to raise Draco right, that some offspring were just bad eggs, and how she and the Dark Lord didn't blame me in the slightest. Somehow the thought of being comforted by Bellatrix made the situation worse. It is never a good sign when Bellatrix is on _my _side.

I was numb. Losing everything would do that to you. I didn't even need the aid of alcohol to sit in my chair and stare into the fire for hours without moving or thinking.

I tried to sleep but the bed was cold and empty. It was amazing how quick she situated herself into my life. After such a short time, I couldn't manage to fall asleep without her next to me. I contemplated bringing her back to my room from the dungeons, but didn't know how long I would be able to stand her company before my anger resurfaced and I choked the life out of her.

So I let her suffer in the cold, dark dungeon and let myself suffer in my empty, lonely room.

I had planned on leaving her in the dungeon the whole day and just throwing her through the Floo network when the time came for her to go to the Dark Lord. I didn't want to see her or talk to her. Because I knew that as soon as I did I would give in to the ache my body had for her. I would take her back into my arms and then have to send her off to Voldemort. And I couldn't take that. I was weak and it disgusted me. It scared me.

Since I didn't lock her in a cell, she sat at the top of the stairs against the locked door and talked whenever she heard me walk past. She made promises she couldn't keep and worthless apologies that I couldn't accept. After a bit, she just talked about us. I sat on the floor of the hallway, leaning against the wall opposite the door, and listened as she recounted our story from her point of view.

She must have been telling the story for her sake since there was no way that she could have known that I lingered, but I sat captured by her tale of internal struggles and confusing emotions.

"It's simple psychology, really," she said. "It was easier to submit than be tortured. I knew I needed to stay alive if I was to ever see Harry and Ron and my parents and the Order again. I submitted but held on to my hate for you. Oh, how I imagined one day killing you! Leaving your body as broken and bloody as you had left mine countless times and walking out that front door to freedom! But then, when the sexual aspect of our relationship started, you showed kindness in your bed and provided my mind with temporary escapes from the darkness. I craved it and therefore I craved you. My confused mind didn't know what to make of that! And when you started showing kindness outside of the sex, I knew I was in trouble. You've made it clear that no one will ever make me feel as you make me feel, and I believe you. The fact is that I don't _want _anyone else to make me feel as you make me feel. Classic Stockholm Syndrome, no? But can it really be Stockholm Syndrome if the person affected can identify it as Stockholm Syndrome?"

She stopped and sighed. I stood up and with the intention of going into my office but she had heard me move. "Are we really not going to talk at all before you hand me over to the Dark Lord?"

I almost left her there, where she would have sat in the dark for a few more hours before being thrust into Voldemort's awaiting hands. Instead, I opened the door and peered down at her. She blinked up at me from where she sat on the top step. Slowly, she rose and smoothed out her robe before uncertainly looking into my eyes.

I beckoned her to follow me. We entered the library where I sat in my chair and she curled around my feet, her chin resting on my knee. Her hands made soothing circles on my legs. "Any news?" she asked.

"Draco is safe. So is Severus. You shouldn't have come back. Then, at least, I'd have my son and friend and be blissfully unaware of their betrayal."

"You wish to have never seen me again?"

"No," I admitted, "but I would have gotten you back on my own, eventually. I have you now, but what happens in a couple of hours? I lose you again to the Dark Lord."

"You don't have to lose me. We can leave. What's keeping you here now?"

"My loyalties! My beliefs!" I snapped. "My service to my Lord keeps me here. I won't sacrifice that, even for you."

"How are you going to deal with the fact that he's touching me, Lucius? Tell me because I don't know how I am going to deal with it. I'm so scared." Her head dropped to my lap. I could feel her shaking against my legs.

I pulled her up and cradled her against my chest. "Just be accommodating. Be polite. Do as he says. Don't give him reason to be angry with you." I stroked her hair.

"You're really going to let this happen, aren't you?"

"I don't have a choice."

"But you do!" she shouted angrily. She sat up. Her eyes were swimming with tears. "I thought that I meant enough to you that you would protect me from him."

I kissed her. "Hermione, you mean enough to me that I will do as he orders. That will keep you safe. That will keep you with me."

Her kiss back was needy. "Say my name again," she whispered against my lips.

It had slipped out again. But this time it felt right. "Hermione." A kiss. "Hermione." Another kiss. "Trust me, Hermione."

"Against everything I believe and was taught, I do trust you."

Our kiss became heated. We tried to pour so much into it: our need, our apologies, and our passion.

When I carried her upstairs, I had planned on taking her. To stake my claim on her one last time before Voldemort could make his own. But the night before had taken a toll on both of us and we fell asleep coiled around each other before our clothes could come off. The comfort we provided the other by just being near and providing a solid couple of hours of sleep was way more beneficial than a quick and frantic coupling would have been.

When the light in the room began to fade, I gently shook her awake and told her to bathe. As she splashed around in the tub, I Transfigured her plain robe into a form-fitting white dress of silk.

I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as the House-elves dressed her and did her hair. She let them do their work, but stood stiff and silent.

No man could have rejected her when she was finished. Her hair was smooth and hung in soft ringlets down her shoulders. The dress hugged her curves and pushed her breasts up to tease tantalizingly at the neckline. The long slit down the side revealed her thigh. The innocent whiteness of the dress was a perfect contrast to the fiery vixen that she looked. Why had I made her dress in that shapeless robe all this time when she could have walked around like _that_?

She sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror. "I look like a high-class whore."

"It is what he expects of you."

Her face darkened. The clock on the mantle chimed seven. Fear replaced anger on her face. "I can't do this," she whispered.

"You can," I assured her. "You must." She took a deep breath to steady herself. I held out my hand. "It's time to go," I notified her gently. She took my hand and we walked out of the room, down the stairs, out the door, and through the gates to Apparate.


	23. Chp 22: How We Spent Our Nights

"So this is it then?" she asked as we passed through the gate. "You're going to just let me go to him without a fight?"

"I'm loyal to the Dark Lord above anything else," I answered. "You will go and prove that I have taught you well. You will be polite and accommodating."

"And what are you going to do while I'm gone, Lucius? Are you going to think about him touching me? Or are you just going to pretend it isn't happening?"

Jealousy bubbled in my chest. She was right. The next couple of hours were going to be complete torture. How had she wormed her way under my skin so deeply?

I held out my arm for side-Apparation. She took it with tears in her eyes. "I need to tell you something," she said.

"Don't," I warned, my stomach twisting painfully. I had a guess of what she needed to tell me.

She ignored my plea. "No, I've got to tell you before we go. I don't know why, but it seems important that you know now." She paused to make sure I was paying attention. I avoided her gaze. "I love you," she whispered.

I shook my head and Apparated.

Voldemort sat at the table in the room where the Weasleys were killed. I wouldn't be surprised if he picked this room to receive us just to intimidate the girl, not that she needed it.

I bowed, and after a pointed glare at her, Hermione stepped out from behind me where she'd been hiding and gave a wobbly curtsy.

"Good evening, my Lord," I greeted him.

"Lucius, Miss. Granger," he acknowledged. He surveyed the girl next to me and gave a small smile. "Come here, Miss. Granger," he ordered. She obediently went to his side. He stood up to face her and tucked a curl behind her ear to get a better look at her. "Good girl. You've done a good job with her, Lucius."

"Thank you, my Lord."

One of his hands went around her waist while the other stroked down her face and neck. She stood stiff and unmoving. I made a soft sound of protest in the back of my throat.

"You are dismissed, Lucius. I shall return her when I am finished."

I dashed out of the room before I did something I regretted.

I knew her. I knew her body. Every inch of it.

I knew what drove her wild.

I knew every little sound of contentment and pleasure.

And now I was imagining another man touching her where I'd touched her, eliciting those sounds that I'd first made her express. It drove me mad. It should be me and no one else who was allowed to do such things.

I paced my room. For a change in scenery, I paced the library. I walked the rose garden. I tried reading. I tried doing paperwork. Anything to get my mind off of what was happening at that same exact moment.

After unsuccessfully trying to distract myself, I slumped into my chair in the library and poured myself a drink. I spent the remainder of my evening in the self-destructive activity of thinking of her.

At 2 AM, when I was good and drunk and depressed, I had to admit to myself that she wasn't coming back that night and I forced myself to bed. I didn't sleep. I just stared at the ceiling, feeling like shit.

I showered and dressed early to be sure that I was ready and presentable for when Voldemort brought her home. By noon, I was a nervous wreck. I had taken to pacing the front hallway, pausing to look out the window at the gate.

When two figures appeared, I nearly ran out the door to meet them halfway up the walkway. Voldemort looked… satiated. Relaxed. She looked relieved to see me. I knew I was relieved to finally see her.

"Lucius," he greeted me.

"My Lord," I answered. "I was getting worried. I hope she didn't give you any trouble."

"A little at the start but I think that was only because our techniques are different. She was agreeable once I asserted my power over her." He turned around to look at the girl who was respectively standing three steps behind him with her head bowed. "You may go to him since you are so eager." She quickly moved to stand behind me. "You should hear her thoughts, Lucius," the Dark Lord commented lightly. "She thinks of you a lot. Fancies herself in love with you."

"I know. It's quite a bother." Outside, I was nonchalant. Inside, I felt a sense of triumph that such a statement was true.

"It is a testament to your success with her, but it is something you must break before she comes to me permanently. It's quite a distraction when your face flashes through her mind every couple of seconds."

"Of course. I will work on that right away."

"See that you do. Now, I have business to attend to. I shall let you know when I require her for another night. Good afternoon." He turned on his heel and disappeared through the gate.

As soon as he was gone, she slumped against me. I barely caught her before she hit the ground. She leaned her head weakly against my chest as I picked her up and brought her inside.

I laid her on the couch and summoned a glass of cold water. She drank it gratefully and then leaned back and closed her eyes.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, running my hands over her to find any wounds.

"Not physically."

I stopped trying to find injuries and kneeled next to her. "Tell me what happened," I ordered, the suspense killing me.

She cracked open an eye to look at me and gave a little shrug. "Nothing that I wasn't expecting. Pain, humiliation. He was rough. It was horrible. I just closed my eyes and wished for it to stop."

"But he kept you all night…"

"Multiple sessions," was her simple answer.

"Did you come?"

"You are really concerned if I enjoyed myself?" She sighed exasperatedly when I didn't waver. "He made me against my will. It took forever. He said he'd get me to enjoy him like I enjoy you eventually."

"He said you were agreeable. It doesn't sound as if you were."

"Believe me, I made sure that your training and methods were not put into question. I was polite and obedient. I wasn't a willing participant but neither was I a fighting rape victim. He was pleased that it went as well as it did for the first time. Is your curiosity satisfied? I'd rather not talk or think about it anymore."

My curiosity wasn't at all satisfied. I needed to know every detail so I could alleviate the overwhelming jealousy. I must have made a sound of protest because she pushed herself into a sitting position and allowed me to sit next to her so she could curl up against me. "You are in all ways better than he is and I didn't find a moment of enjoyment the whole time. Shouldn't you be the one comforting me?" I put my arm around her and she laid her head upon my lap. I stared into the fire for several minutes in silence.

"Could you bear to do it again?" She didn't answer because she had fallen fast asleep. "I don't think I could…" I told her sleeping figure.

I fingered Severus's letter, rereading the end again and again.

"_The Order will always take you into their folds if you find the life as a Death Eater no longer suitable for you. You always have options_."

I could see my son again. Hermione would be safe. I would never have to give her over. We could be together. And my life would be so much simpler without Voldemort in it. No more torture, no more pain, no more death.

A smart man would know what to do straightaway. He'd pen a note to the Order, wait for their instructions, and whisk Hermione off to safety. I considered myself a smart man. Malfoys have been known to save their own skin above all else and do anything to get what they wanted. Then why couldn't I write the bloody note to ensure that we'd be safe and I'd get to keep her?

Years of Pureblood breeding and a life of supporting the Dark Lord made me hesitate. My morals and beliefs were important to me. Was I a weak man for wanting to throw that all away for a girl and an easier life? There was a chance that I'd be moving from the winning side to the losing side.

But there was also a chance that I'd be moving from the losing side to the winning side…

An arm slid around my shoulders as Hermione came up behind me. She had been sleeping in the bed as I contemplated my future in front of the fire. "What's that?" she asked. I handed the letter to her silently so she could read it. She snorted. "He would take points." She handed it back to me. "You miss him," she murmured, misreading my reflective state.

"I think I might take his advice," I said bluntly.

"Write to the Order?" The shock on her face was evident. "Are you sure? It's such a sudden change, Lucius. Did you think it through?"

"Of course!" I snapped. "Of course," I said more gently when she flinched. I grabbed her wrists. "I need to keep you from him, Hermione, and if this is the way to do it, then so be it."

She pulled away, suddenly angry. "Are you doing this because you can't bear to watch him take something you want? Or are you doing this because you actually care for me?" I was silent, trying to figure it out for myself for I had no idea. The longer I was silent, the more distressed she got. "When I told you I loved you, you never answered. I want an answer now. Do you love me or could you come to love me as I do you? Are you even capable of love?"

"I love my son."

"It's not the same type of love." I was at a loss for words so I just sat there glaring at her as she glared at me. After a long, tortuous silence she seemed to make up her mind about something. "Listen, I'll make this easy for you. Now with both choices, you lose me. If you don't go to the Order, I go to Voldemort. If I you do go to the Order, I make sure that they never let you see me again. Now that I am out of the equation, you can make the choice that's best for you. Although, if you had a decent bone in your body or an ounce of care for me, you'd write to the Order and save me."

She turned around, grabbed a blank piece of parchment and a quill, and set them on the small table in front of my chair. "The choice is yours, Lucius."

With that, she lay back down on the bed and faced the wall, making it obvious that she didn't want to be around me anymore.

I stared at the blank parchment long into the late hours of the night.


	24. Chp 23: How I Prepared to Leave

I wrote the bloody letter to the Order. Keeping it simple, I just put that Severus said that I could go to them and they would protect me. I also mentioned that Hermione and I would be grateful for a prompt reply so we could get to safety as soon as possible.

I gently woke Hermione to ask to whom I should send the letter to. She tried to hide a little smile before answering, "Professor McGonagall, I guess," and turning her back to me once again.

The dread I expected to feel as I sent off an owl wasn't there. I only felt relief. I would get to see Draco again! Hermione would be safe and I was optimistic that I could change her mind about losing her either way.

I slipped into bed next to her and felt her stiffen at the contact I made as I pulled her against me. She struggled to get out of my arms but relaxed as I kissed her neck and whispered, "I don't know if Malfoys are capable of love, but isn't it worth sticking around to find out?"

She turned around in my arms to face me. She searched my eyes. "You think it's possible for you to love me someday?"

My answer was to lean down and give her a toe-curling kiss. She arched up against me, clinging to the front of my shirt. As I kissed my way down her neck, she murmured, "It's so worth sticking around to find out."

She pulled me up so we could lazily explore each other's mouths. There was no rush, no sense of urgency. We could take our time and really enjoy the other. Deciding to step out of reach of the Dark Lord's influence took away the pressure so we didn't need a quick and frantic coupling. I could worship her body.

She somehow had unbuttoned my shirt without me realizing it and was pushing it off over my shoulders. I lifted my torso to accommodate her and was rewarded with her hands roaming over my chest. She smiled against my lips as I sighed into her mouth.

Rolling over, I trapped her beneath me. Breaking our kiss, I sat up, straddling her hips. She whimpered at the loss of my lips but that whimper turned into a surprised squeal as I ripped the flimsy robe she wore from top to bottom to reveal her naked figure.

After seeing her naked so many times, I was surprised when my breath was still taken away. It amazed me that this goddess wanted me. She loved me, and something warm and pleasant curled in my stomach at that thought.

She shrugged out of the tattered robe and leaned up on her elbows to kiss my chest over where my heart was thumping wildly. Then, she reached down to undo my belt and zipper on my pants. I stood up quickly, toed off my shoes and socks, kicked off my pants, and covered her naked body with my naked body. She arched up to meet me so we had contact from foot to chest.

We stilled. I looked down into her eyes as she looked up into mine. Her heavy panting pushed her breasts up into my chest with every breath. I absentmindedly twirled one of her curls around my index finger.

She grinned impishly and slightly lifted her hips. I gasped at the feeling of her hot moistness coming into contact with my straining erection. With a playful growl, I pushed her knees apart and settled between her thighs, teasing her with the tip of my cock against her entrance. When she lifted her hips again, I felt my tip go in. With agonizing slowness, she guided me into her until I was fully sheathed. We stilled again, reveling in the feeling of being joined so intimately.

I moved, keeping the slow pace she started. I watched her face as her eyes glazed over and she gave the tiniest of breathy moans each time I pushed into her again. Her hands came up to rest on my cheeks and lead my lips back to hers. Our kisses were slow to match the pace of our hips.

The pleasure built until we were both panting and voicing our enjoyment loudly, but neither of us wanted to back down and be the first quicken the tempo to finish. Finally, her hands moved from where they had been resting on the back of my neck to cradle my head to my shoulders. Her nails bit into my shoulders as she whispered into my ear, "Take me."

I started snapping my hips faster and harder immediately. Her ankles hooked around my lower back, urging me on. I pistoned in and out of her, feeling the familiar build of a powerful orgasm. Below me, Hermione thrashed back and forth, unable to form coherent words. "Come for me, Hermione," I groaned.

"Oh, Lucius!" she cried out. Her channel tightened and spasmed around me, pulling me over the edge with her. I spilled myself into her and collapsed on top of her, nuzzling my head into the crook of her neck. Her hand rubbed my sweaty back in small soothing circles.

After a minute, I pulled out of her and rolled to her side. She held me against her chest and kissed the top of my head. We fell asleep with no words exchanged.

I woke up early the next morning, disappointed that there wasn't a return owl yet. Quietly slipping from bed not to disturb Hermione, I showered, dressed, and made my way to my office. If I was leaving to be under the protection of the Order, there was a lot of business I needed to settle.

I called all the House elves to my office. There was a collective bow and amplified "Good morning, master" as all twenty-something of them greeted me at once.

I sent half of them off to gather all the valuables from around the mansion and bring them to my vault at Gringotts. There was priceless artwork, family heirlooms, jewels, historical knick-knacks, rare books, and personal items that I did not want the Ministry or Voldemort to pick through when I turned up missing.

Another bunch of elves were to pack bags to take with us. For me, they were to pack as if I were going on an extended vacation. This bunch was also to take some nicer robes and dresses of Narcissa's and resize them to fit Hermione so she would have something to wear. I wanted her to be dressed in the best money could buy, and since we were strapped for time, Narcissa's used but very expensive things would have to do. I was sure that as soon as they were refit for Hermione, she would look gorgeous and I wouldn't even think of Narcissa when she wore them.

I sent some the rest of the elves to deliver letters to people who needed to know I would be gone. The letters were charmed not to reveal that I was going to most likely be gone for good until after we were in safety. My business associates, the Ministry, and some distant family and friends deserved to hear from me what was happening. I couldn't leave some people without tying up loose ends.

With the House elves taking care of everything else, I worked on my office. There were a ton of papers to sort through. Some I burned because they could be used as damning evidence in the future, others were documents that I sent to colleagues to either finish or hold on to for safe-keeping, and the rest I tucked away in a folder to bring with me. I would use the information in the folder to give to the Order as a token of good faith. They contained years and years of catalogued notes that I had kept for the Dark Lord. I hoped that this would be enough for them to accept that I did truly want their protection so that they wouldn't automatically try to incarcerate me on sight.

Satisfied that I organized everything as thoroughly as I could for such a sudden departure, I relaxed in the library to wait for a return owl from the Order. Hermione found me there a few minutes later, dressed in a refitted light rose silk robe that I had the House elves leave out for her.

"The house seems so empty with so much stuff gone," she commented as she slipped onto my lap.

"The House elves made quick work of it. I wanted to be ready to leave at a moment's notice."

"I can tell. You're eager to go. You're basically humming with suppressed nerves." She wound her arms around my neck and played with my hair.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I fear for our lives now that I made this decision. I want to get us to safety as soon as possible. Every second we linger here gives the Dark Lord another second to find out about our escape."

She frowned and looked at the clock. "I'm worried. You sent the letter over twelve hours ago. Shouldn't the Order have answered by now? You'd think that they'd want to do this as fast as possible."

"Should I send another?"

She shrugged. "They are probably just double checking with their sources to make sure that it isn't a trap." All of a sudden, magic sizzled across my skin. I sat up straight. "What happened?" Hermione whispered, sensing my tenseness.

"The wards were just taken down." I stood up and peeked out into the hallway. All was quiet. "Hermione, go upstairs to the bedroom. Lock yourself in my bathroom and stay quiet." I was strangely calm outwardly, although inside I was panicking.

"How did the wards just fall like that?" she asked, grabbing my arm with a trembling hand.

"It could be the Order with a master curse-breaker coming to get us raid-style just to be safe if it was a trap…"

"Or?"

"Or it's _him_. The Dark Lord insisted on knowing how to break through all his Death Eaters' wards. I'm sure it's nothing, but go upstairs to be safe, ok?"

Her grip on my arm became tighter. "No, I'm staying with you."

The front door was blasted open. Debris and dust obscured my view. I pushed Hermione behind me and raised my wand, ready to face the intruders whether they be friendly… or there to kill us both.


	25. Chp 24: How I Faced My End

A figure walked toward us through the rubble. The stride was calm and confident, and the little hope I had that it was the Order vanished. I knew only one man who walked as if he owned the world… or someday would.

Voldemort stalked through the wreckage and stopped a few feet from us. Calmly, he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it. "I wish to seek safety in the Order," he mocked as he read my words from the page. "I feel that it is time to leave the Dark Lord's service and would like to ensure that both Hermione Granger and I are not put in danger by doing so." He crumpled up the parchment and tossed it to the side. "Care to explain, Lucius? Or should I just kill you now?" His wand that had been held slack at his side now swiveled to point at my chest. My wand flew into his other hand. He didn't lower his wand. Hermione gasped and pressed herself closer to me.

"Good evening, my Lord," I greeted him coolly, ever stoic, never to reveal what I was actually feeling inside. "Allow me to explain."

"No need. I can guess what is going on here." His eyes moved emotionlessly to the girl behind me. "Besides, your letter to the Order explains it well enough." He moved into the library, confident that we would follow him.

Without a wand, I couldn't Apparate both of us even though the wards were down, and running would do no good. I tried to motion to Hermione to go upstairs, but with a stubborn shake of her head, she followed me into the library. The Dark Lord sat in my chair. He waved to the chair across from him. I hesitantly sat down.

Hermione moved to sit by my feet. "No, no, Miss. Granger. You sit by me. He is no longer your master. He lost that honor when he betrayed me." Trembling, she sat on the floor next to him. His hand immediately went to brush through her hair. A small sob escaped her. "There has been so much betrayal within my ranks recently. First, Severus and Draco. Now my second in command. I'm glad that I started having all my Death Eaters' correspondence routed to me first."

I knew when to keep quiet. He didn't expect me to talk yet. If I listened to him, was compliant and contrite, and gave him whatever he asked for, he might spare us. I still had some foolish hope that I could get both of us out of the situation alive.

He studied the girl who was quietly crying by his feet. "You would give up everything for a _Mudblood_, Lucius? It's so unlike you to follow your heart instead of your head. You're giving up power, money, prestige… I don't understand it. She wasn't that good of a fuck." His hand that had been gently threading through her hair now grabbed a handful and threw her into the space between the chairs. She fell between us with a whimper. "Tell me what it is about her that makes her so special!" he roared.

I flinched at his sudden loud outburst, but continued to just stare stoically back at him. Hermione took the advantage of his lack of attention on her and crawled over to lean against me. Her warmth against my leg gave me a boost of courage that I desperately clung to as our situation seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Voldemort looked at the pair of us, seeming to come to a decision. "One of you must die tonight. And the other must be punished severely until they relearn their place. The question is who shall be allowed to remain alive?" He tapped his wand against his thigh as his eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us. "If I were to kill the Mudblood, I do believe it would snap you out of this little dream-world you've found yourself in, Lucius. Without her to distract you, you can go back to serving me faithfully. However… I have many loyal Death Eaters vying for a spot in my inner circle. Losing you may not be such a loss to our cause. And I would still have the Mudblood to use as I had planned."

"If Lucius dies, I will not rest until I die, too!" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, as if she couldn't believe that she had just yelled that out loud. She sank back to hide behind my knee.

"Is that so? Do you think that you would be given the opportunity to kill yourself? Perhaps Lucius's death would finally break you of that terrible Gryffindor attitude and you'd learn to obey for once!" He raised his wand, and without thinking, I stood up to shield her body from the path of any spells he may cast. He raised an eyebrow. "And you, Lucius? If I killed Miss. Granger would you not rest until you were dead, as well?"

I was silent. Not because I wasn't going to answer but because I _didn't_ know what to answer. Would I feel compelled to take my own life just because she wouldn't be around anymore? I'd mourn the loss to be sure, but did her death mean mine like my death meant hers? Could I live without her? I thought of all the things I would get back if Hermione was out of the equation: my job, my fortune, my house, my good standing with the Dark Lord and society, perhaps my wife.

"Your silence says it all," Voldemort commented. "Obviously what you feel for her doesn't even begin to compare with what she feels for you. Just say the word, Lucius, and she dies. I welcome you back with open arms." Hermione let out a sob behind me. Her warmth left my back and I could tell she was backing up to get away from me.

No! I still wouldn't have Draco. Or Severus. Or someone who really loved me. It's funny that in that moment I figured out that the three most important things in my life were people, not money or power or social standing. I turned around and grabbed Hermione's wrist before she got too far. "Don't listen to him," I murmured into her hair as I pulled her beside me. "Would I have written the letter if I didn't want to be with you always?"

She melted against me. I kissed her forehead. We faced him together.

"_Weak_," Voldemort hissed. "That's what you are. Weak. You let an insignificant little _girl_ ruin your life. You protect her in your arms when letting her go could save you. What happened to the Lucius Malfoy I marked?" He lurched forward and grabbed Hermione out of my arms. She was thrown against a nearby bookcase. I was pulled forward and made to kneel in the space between the two chairs in front of the fire. I stared into the end of his wand. "Thank you for making this decision so easy for me, Lucius. You have just proved that there is no longer any space for you in my ranks."

"No!" Hermione shouted.

"Quiet, girl!"

"Please, not him! Kill me instead!" She crawled toward him and grabbed the end of his robes.

He kicked at her and sent her sprawling. "I should have trained you myself from the beginning," he fumed. "You _will_ obey me and you _will_ satisfy me. You will forget about this traitor and serve only me!"

She tried to get up but fell over, clutching her ribs. "No! No, no, no, no…"

"It's ok, Hermione," I said, my voice raspy. "Behave yourself, obey him. Your life won't be so bad if you just give in. Forget about me. It's ok. Remember how easy it was once you stopped fighting me?"

"He's not you!" she cried. "I stopped fighting because I fell in love! With you! I'll only ever love you. I won't stop fighting him until I am with you again!" She struggled to sit up and leaned against the wall, glaring at Voldemort. "Mark my words, if he dies, I will find a way to kill myself, and then you will have lost both of us."

The Dark Lord chuckled darkly. "I look forward to breaking you. Perhaps you'll fall in love with me, too. Apparently all it takes is pain, torture, and rape and you are head-over-heels for your captor."

"You don't know anything about how it happened!"

"Well, we'll have plenty of time for you to regale me with the tale later. But right now, I'd like to dispose of this sorry excuse for a human so I can get you home and teach you your place. Which from now on, will be under me."

His attention snapped back to me. He held his wand more firmly, pointing directly into the center of my forehead. I closed my eyes. Hermione gasped and broke into quiet sobs.

I waited for the curse to hit, hoping that it would be a quick Killing Curse without a prelude of torture. It would be easier for both Hermione and me. Although only seconds had passed, time stretched out indefinitely.

In all the times that I had imagined my death, I always thought it would be gloriously defending my Lord or old in my bed with my family around me and the world ruled by Pureblood supremacy. Never did I think that I would be kneeling in my own library at the mercy of the one man that I had promised to give my life in service to.

I slowed my breathing which had elevated to hyperventilation. My heart, previously pounding, became a more normal rate. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and completely composed myself. When I was as calm as I could make myself, I reopened my eyes. I spared a quick look at Hermione who stared back with tear-filled eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

"I know." And then I faced Voldemort. "Do it," I rasped. "Kill me."


	26. Chp 25: How I Spiralled Downwards

The kitchen at Grimmauld Place was silent as I finished recounting the last several months.

"And, well, you know the rest," I finished tiredly. I looked up from where I had been staring at the grain of the wood table and into the eyes of the people who sat across from me.

"We need it in your own words, Mr. Malfoy," said Kingsley Shacklebolt, glancing at the parchment hovering beside him that had been taking my statement. "Standard procedure and all."

I looked to the other two, Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall, who both nodded for me to continue. "If you want to avoid Azkaban and be welcomed into the Order, we need the whole story on file," McGonagall explained.

"Severus and Draco had to do this, as well?"

"Yes, but their stories weren't nearly as long as yours has been," Shacklebolt answered, looking at the large stack of parchment beside him on the table. I had been talking for what seemed like days. They wanted me to start from the time that I had first seen Hermione. They wanted details. They wanted me to leave nothing out.

I suppressed a sigh. "Well, the Order burst through the door, apparently alerted that something must be amiss by the fact that the Malfoy Manor wards were down. They had been aware that Hermione was with me and had placed extra surveillance. They wanted to use the opportunity to try and save her. Voldemort was overwhelmed and taken by surprise. He grabbed Hermione and Apparated. I was taken into custody. Now I'm here with you, reliving it all and wondering why the hell you aren't trying to get her back."

"We've lost all our inside men," Lupin muttered. "No thanks to you."

"You still have to try and find her! I can bring you to his manor and…"

"Mr. Malfoy, we just saved you from certain death at his hand. He's changed all his wards to exclude you by now. You need to go into hiding with Severus and Draco," McGonagall snapped.

I rubbed at my forehead, trying to hide my watery eyes. "So you're just going to leave her with him? With that monster?"

"She survived well enough with a different monster for several months," Lupin shot back.

"Enough Remus," McGonagall chided.

"No! He tortured her! He raped her! He abused her! He took advantage of her love! This is Hermione we're talking about. Sweet, innocent, caring Hermione! She'll never be the same because of him. He claims to care for her, but I just think he is using her as an excuse to save his own hide."

"We can verify all this by looking into his mind, Remus," Shacklebolt reminded him.

"Yeah and I'm sure we'll see everything exactly as he told it because he is just too damn cautious and cunning to mess this up. He wanted safety. She gave him an out. He says he cares for her but he can't even say he loves her. He used her and he's still using her."

"Don't assume you know everything about Hermione and me just because you made me give every tiny, sordid detail in my statement," I growled.

Lupin stood up and shoved his chair in violently. "Welcome to the Order, you bastard," he ground out as he stalked from the room. A moment later, the front door slammed shut. A horrible howling started from the front hallway.

"Oh dear. That would be Mrs. Black. I'll go quiet her down," McGonagall offered as she also left the room.

Kingsley took his time rearranging all the parchments. "Well, I seem to have all the information I need from you, Mr. Malfoy. I will file this and after the Order meeting tomorrow, we will move you to the safe house with Draco and Severus. You will stay here for the night." He put on his cloak and picked up the stack. "She's a strong girl. She'll manage until we can save her." With that, he also walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with horrible mental images of what Hermione was probably suffering through.

The next day, I was given a one-time-use portkey and arrived at the safe house. The portkey dropped me off in the middle of a small living area. Draco, who had been reading on the couch, jumped up when he saw it was me. Severus came into the room from the kitchen at Draco's small cry of surprise.

"Father! I never thought… I could only hope that…" He took a few steps toward me but stopped before he got too close. I reached out and brought him in for a quick but fierce hug. I then held him at arms length to study him and make sure he was ok. He gave a shy smile. "You haven't hugged me since I was five."

"I'm so relieved that you are ok." I looked behind Draco where Severus was standing in the doorway. "Thank you for keeping my boy safe." He gave a curt nod.

A few minutes later, we were all seated around the fire with cups of tea. I had filled them in on what had happened since they went into hiding before lapsing into silence and staring into the fire. Draco and Severus conversed softly over the news, giving me the chance to sit and wallow in my guilt.

After what must have been several hours, Draco led me to what would be my room for the foreseeable future. "It isn't much," he admitted as I looked over the rickety twin-sized bed and small desk, "but we're free of him and can live our own lives. We can take advantage of the free time we get by hiding out. For example, Severus is doing research on a potion that could change the world. He won't tell me what it is though… And I'm studying for my NEWTS and filling out applications for universities."

I managed what I hoped looked like a genuine smile. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Father." He grinned, obviously pleased with the praise. "We'll help you find something to keep you busy, too."

My face fell. "I can't imagine doing anything productive until I know that she is safe."

Draco lightly touched my arm. "She'll be ok."

"We don't know that. He could destroy her mind. He could change her so drastically that she'll never be the same and I won't even recognize her anymore. Every second I am trapped here is another second that Voldemort has to ruin her." I sat down heavily on the bed. It creaked.

"The Order will get her back to you safely. Until then, she will keep herself strong for you. She loves you." He sat down next to me. "And although you can't admit it to yourself yet, you love her. Now get some rest."

I sat on the bed staring at the wall long after Draco left and quietly shut the door.

Days dragged by so slowly that I wondered several times if I was stuck in some nightmare where time just stopped. It probably didn't help that all I did was sit and stare into the fire while Severus scribbled furiously at the table on his research and Draco read through book after book to prepare for his NEWTS.

I snapped out of my trance-like state when a cup of tea was placed in front of me on the coffee table. I blinked up into Severus's scowling face. "Are you going to get dressed today?" he asked.

"What's the point? I only ever see you two. I can't leave the house."

"It will make you feel better to be dressed and put together." I ignored him and went back to staring at the flames, sipping the tea. "Are you at least going to shower and shave?"

"I like the scruffy look."

"You hate the scruffy look."

"Don't tell me what I do or do not like."

"Damn it, Lucius!" Severus yelled, throwing up his hands. "I've had enough of this! You aren't helping her by going down this path of self-pity and despair."

"I couldn't help her no matter what I did in this God-forsaken place."

"How do you think it would make her feel to know that you are slowly neglecting yourself to death over her?"

"Severus…" Draco warned.

"No, Draco. I know that you think he'll just snap out of this on his own, but he's not going to."

"Just give some more time…" Draco pleaded.

"How much time do you think I gave myself after Lily…" Severus started but quickly trailed off, mad at himself for bringing Lily up.

"That's because Lily was _dead_, Severus. Hermione is alive. There is still hope. There's no hope for a _dead _woman. You grieved and moved on. I get to sit here day after day and imagine the horrors she's going through at his hand. And there's _nothing I can do to help her_!" I stood up and pushed past a shocked Severus to get to my bedroom.

I didn't leave my room for several days. They didn't bother me and for that I was grateful. On some level, I knew Severus was right and that I wasn't helping anyone by staying in my hellish mood. It was just so hard to feel so helpless. I was used to power and control and results.

I slept a lot. I thought a lot. I tried to make sense of the situation I found myself in as best as I could. But mostly, I just laid on the mess of wood and fabric that apparently passed as a bed here and zoned out. It was kind of nice to float around in my mind and not feel.

On the fourth day of my self-imposed solitude, Draco hesitantly knocked on the door. I ignored him until he sighed and opened the door. "Father?" I continued to stare at the ceiling, recounting the cracks for the hundredth time. Still 2,568. "I wouldn't bother you but you'd better come out. Someone's here. They want to speak with you."

"I'm busy."

"No, you really want to come out."

"No, I really don't."

"It's Harry Potter." I sat up, my eyebrows raised. "He says that he's finished whatever Dumbledore told him to do and just needs some information from you to end it all."

I craned my neck so I could peer around Draco into the living room. Next to a very sour-looking Severus was a thin, tired, ragged boy. He happened to look up and our eyes locked. His sparkled with energy and determination despite his appearance. "Ok, give me a moment to shower and change. I'll be right out."


	27. Chp 26: How We Plotted

I showered, shaved, and dressed for the first time in a long time. My silk robes felt like heaven after subjecting myself to boxers and scratchy sheets for who knows how long. I looked presentable, and although I'd never tell Severus, I did feel better. Or maybe I only felt better because I felt like we were finally getting somewhere with the sudden arrival of Mr. Potter.

The two of us settled at the small table by the kitchen. Severus and Draco sat on the couch, pretending not to listen. "Mr. Malfoy," Potter started, "I would have come sooner but the Order was pretty adamant about not letting me come to the safe house. It took awhile to convince them that I only wanted information from you. That I wasn't planning on killing you for what you did to Hermione… though that thought is never far from my mind." I was silent, staring at him intently. He cleared his throat nervously. "I can't tell you what I did for Dumbledore. Just know that it's done and that I'm ready to defeat Voldemort."

"Why come to me?"

"I could use information… any information… you have to help me finish this once and for all."

"What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Be nice, Father," Draco scolded without looking up from his book.

"You were in the Inner Circle. You know more than any other Death Eater," Potter continued without skipping a beat.

"Ex-Death Eater," I mumbled. "Why not ask Severus? He was also in the Inner Circle."

"Professor Snape and I have already talked." He sat in silence for a moment, tracing patterns on the tabletop with his index finger. When he looked up again, his eyes held tears. "Does she really love you?"

"So she says," I answered, my throat tight.

"And do you love her?"

The room suddenly got hot and oppressive. The stillness echoed in my ears as three faces turned to me, waiting for my answer. It was time to stop lying to myself. "So very much," I whispered as I buried my face in my hands. Tears. I was crying. When was the last time I actually cried?

I felt a warm pressure about my shoulders as Draco and Severus rushed over to console me. Potter reached across the table to put a comforting hand on my arm. I let myself surrender to several heaving sobs before attempting to control my emotions. In a few minutes, I felt that I had pulled myself together enough to look across the table at Potter again. "I believe you," he said simply, his eyes shining. "Besides the whole blood status issue and the fact that you supported Voldemort, I can see the attraction. She suits you. You suit her. When we get out of this mess your former master has created, I will support the two of you. I will make sure the Order doesn't keep you apart."

"Were they planning on doing that?" Draco asked angrily.

"There was talk of it, yes. Remus mostly. I'm sure I can talk sense into them, if it turns out that's what Hermione wants."

"It is," Draco all but growled.

"I didn't say it wasn't. I just want to let you know that I am leaving the choice up to Hermione."

"As it should be," I said.

"Exactly." Potter seemed surprised that I agreed with him. "Now, can you tell me anything? Anything at all? I want to end this, but I also want Hermione back and safe as soon as possible."

"There is one thing that I thought of," I said slowly. "There is only a slight chance that anything will come of it though since Voldemort likely covered his ass wherever I was concerned." Three pairs of eyes fixated on me. "Since I bought Voldemort his manor, I have all the paperwork in my vault at Gringotts."

Draco's eyes lit up. "That means…"

"What?" Potter asked.

"In the paperwork, not only were there the papers that pertained to the law aspect of buying the manor, but he also asked me to keep the blueprints and the ward profile. Even if he's changed them, the updates would also change on the papers. So assuming that he hasn't bribed, threatened, or killed anyone to get into my vault to steal the papers, you'd be able to locate his unplottable manor and easily break through the wards."

"Excellent." Potter's face was flushed with excitement.

I retrieved my Gringotts key from the small bag that the Order had allowed me to grab before taking me to Grimmauld Place. I placed it in front of Potter as I retook my seat. "This will allow you to open the door to my vault. Unfortunately, I have placed several security measures before and after the door to make sure that not just anyone with the correct key can waltz into my vault. The good news is that it would have been impossible without the key. With the key, your chances are better, but only slightly."

"Could you talk me through the security measures? Maybe it will up my chances a bit."

"It's not a matter of walking you through a series of steps. It's a matter of magical signature and genetics." Potter stared at me blankly "Only specific magical signatures can get through one level of security and only specific DNA combinations can get through another level. It only allows Draco, Narcissa, or I through."

"If your wife can get through…"

"Exactly. Voldemort could have used her to get the papers already, if he could have persuaded the goblins to let her use the bank's copy of the key."

We lapsed into silence. "Well, how the hell am I supposed to get in with those restrictions?" Potter wondered softly.

"I don't know," I answered.

"Father, why don't I just go with him? I can walk in and walk out no problem," Draco interceded.

"No!" both Severus and I snapped simultaneously.

"It's a death wish," Severus informed him. "You are in hiding for a reason. The Dark Lord is monitoring the three of our whereabouts closely. The second any of us step outside of this safe house, we're dead."

"Polyjuice?" offered Potter.

"Is that your answer to everything, Potter?" Severus mocked. "It just makes you look like the person, not give you the same genetic make-up or magical signature. You'd need to combine…" He trailed off, deep in thought. "But maybe…" He dashed to the bookcase and pulled out several tomes, flipping to various pages.

"Um, Severus?" Draco called. "Are you going to share your flash of genius?"

"Shhh! I need to concentrate!"

We sat quietly and watched him furiously page through a dozen books, marking pages that must have been helpful and throwing the useless ones back on the shelf. "No, that could make it permanent… But if I changed…? Bad idea, it's volatile at best…" he muttered out loud.

We were silently drinking our third pot of tea, bored out of our minds, when he dropped two books opened to marked pages on the table in front of us.

"Now I'm not saying this will work," he started, "and if it does it'll revolutionize potions as we know it, but I think I may have come up with something."

"Oh, and I just thought you were doing some fun recreational reading over there," Draco said sarcastically.

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Ok, ok. Sorry."

Severus took a huge breath and launched into his theory. "Well, there was a potion that became quite popular in the 60's that temporarily changed the magical core of an infant to match a collected sample. It was used so cheating housewives could sneak a bastard past a paternity test potion by briefly changing the infant's magical core to match the husband's. It's obviously illegal today, not only because so many men were being swindled but also because it had adverse effects on the child. I could work the kinks out of this potion and combine it with Polyjuice."

"So we got the magical signature possibly worked out. What about the genetics?" I asked.

"It's been theorized that this potion changes your magical core by changing the genetics that code for it. It's quite possible that this change would be enough for your security measures. There are some problems though…"

"Which are?" Potter looked a little alarmed.

"The potion has never been given to anyone older than an infant. I have no idea how your body would take it. Plus, some of the ingredients are rare, expensive, or illegal."

"And the fact that you don't even know if you can do it," Potter finished glumly.

Severus pushed the two books across the table to Potter. "You get me everything on the marked pages and I'll try my damndest."

Potter's eyes widened as he looked through the pages. "There has got to be at least 500 things here!"

"And you'll make sure that you get every last ingredient. I need them all in case I need to switch out ingredients to suit the new concoction."

"What about actually getting into Gringotts?" Draco asked. "It's not like Harry can go in looking like Father or even himself. Voldemort would definitely be notified if either were seen just walking about in public."

"Yes, but if Narcissa were to go into the vault, it wouldn't be a cause of alarm for anybody," I noted.

Potter balked. "I'm so not changing into a woman!"

We ignored him. "Do you have any of Narcissa's DNA to put into the potion?" Severus inquired.

Again, I got up from the table and went to the small bag in my room. I pulled out one of Narcissa's old dress robes that I had meant for Hermione to wear. I brought it back into the living area. "There's got to be something on here. Skin cells, a stray hair, something!"

"Uh, why do you have one of Mother's dresses?"

"Hermione would have needed clothes."

"Oh. Well, it will be a lovely color on Potter, though. Don't you think?" Draco grinned impishly in Potter's direction.

"Shove off, Malfoy." Potter looked at the robes and crinkled his nose. "Ok… How long will this potion take? We can't hope that Voldemort will continue to overlook the papers, if he hasn't already got them."

"I believe with the switches made, the modified Polyjuice would only take a couple of days," Severus mused. "Add on a couple of days for experimenting and maybe a trial run to make sure it doesn't kill you… I'd say a week. So it really depends on how fast you can get your hands on those ingredients."

"I'd better get started then," Harry said as he grabbed the two books and got up to leave. "Don't worry about it. I've got it under control."

After he left, the three of us looked at each other. Draco smiled nervously. "So what do you think his actual chances are of succeeding?"

Severus and I rolled our eyes.

"Zero."

"Nil."

"Well, aren't you two optimistic," Draco muttered.


	28. Chp 27: How Voldemort Made Contact

Potter came back less than 48 hours later with a trunk filled with potions ingredients. He sat at the table, looking quite pleased with himself, as Severus went through the trunk and examined everything closely.

"I must say that I am amazed, Potter," Severus said as he held up a vial of some sort of liquid to the light. "You managed to follow directions and get everything done in a decent amount of time."

"Is that praise I hear from dear old Professor Snape?" Potter said in a tone of mock surprise. "I do believe the world must be ending! If you award me house points, my heart just might give out from shock!"

"Ten points to Gryffindor then." Severus raised an eyebrow when Potter didn't fall over dead. Potter smirked.

"It was worth a shot, Severus," Draco laughed.

"Indeed. May I ask how you managed to gather all the rare, illegal, and dangerous ingredients in such a short amount of time?"

"Why have an Order if they don't make themselves useful?"

"Getting others to do your dirty work for you?" Severus sneered.

"It would have never gotten done otherwise. You know that. Poor Remus had to go all the way to Antarctica to get that special melted snow! Hagrid nearly died from collecting the eggs of that snake in Africa!"

"It doesn't matter. We have them all and you can start working on the potion," I interrupted.

"Yes. You can come back in a week Potter. I'll be done by then," Severus said.

"Um. About that." Potter smiled sheepishly. "The Order didn't think that having me come and go from the safe house so much was a good idea. They didn't the extra magic to attract any unwanted attention to the area so they thought it'd be best if I stayed here until the potion was done."

"Fabulous," Draco groaned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Potter kept out of the way during the day, keeping himself busy by sitting in a corner and reading through dueling books. He slept on the couch at night. All in all, his presence in the house wasn't a total inconvenience.

Severus, on the other hand, was a complete nightmare. Draco had the good sense to hide in his room and stick me with the task of helping prepare ingredients. My potions skills did not meet Severus's high standards and I was constantly on the receiving end of his scathing remarks. Normally short tempered, the stress of basically inventing a new potion in a week shortened the fuse further. There were many random eruptions of anger. I tried to bite my tongue and ignore the hurtful remarks he threw at me.

"Honestly, with the way you are mangling those roots, Lucius, it's like you never want Miss. Granger to be saved because you are going to completely ruin the potion!"

I stabbed the knife into the table and was about to unleash days of pent-up rage at him when Potter put a hand on my arm. "Why don't I take over? Go to your room and relax."

"Oh yes, Potter, because you will be _so_ much better than Lucius."

Potter calmly pulled the knife from the table and took a fresh root from the pile to chop. "It's not Lucius's fault that he can't chop properly, Professor. He had Slughorn. I had the good fortune to have you to teach me how to do it the correct way. I basically had private tutoring with school-aged you all of sixth year."

Severus eyed the pile of chopped roots that Potter had already finished with. It must have passed his inspection for he gave a noncommittal grunt and turned back to the simmering cauldron without further comment.

Potter became Severus's assistant after that and the house returned to a semblance of peace.

"That's enough for tonight, Potter," Severus said warily three nights later as he put the stirring rod down and cast a stasis charm over the potion. "Tomorrow we'll do the test it for adverse effects. After that, the recipe just follows the final steps of Polyjuice. If it goes well tomorrow, we could have the potion finished by tomorrow night."

Harry wiped down the table and flopped down on the couch next to Draco with a groan. "Do I have to put a dress on?"

"Only if you want to," Draco teased.

"At this point the potion shouldn't even do anything. I just want to make sure it won't kill you," Severus said as he put away some extra ingredients.

"That makes me feel so much better."

I lay awake that night, thinking about how we were so close to getting Hermione back. A mix of nerves and excitement kept me awake. Giving up on falling asleep, I quietly opened my door as not to wake Potter on the couch and went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea.

Movement caught my eye as I started to make my way back to my room with a steaming cup of tea. Potter was thrashing about on the couch. His face was screwed up in a grimace and sweat drenched his undershirt. He gave a small cry that was a mixture of pain and protest and suddenly sat up. He gasped for air for a few moments before noticing me where I stood frozen in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Nightmare?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Something like that," he muttered, avoiding my eyes. I moved to sit next to him and offered him my cup of tea. "No, thanks," he said, although he looked grateful. "Nothing sits right after…" He stared into the dying embers of the fire. He sniffed and tried to surreptitiously wipe away a tear.

"That was no nightmare," I observed.

"No. It was a vision. From _him_."

"_Hermione_," I breathed.

"She's alive. And ok from what I can tell. At least she's not physically hurt. Emotionally…" He covered his face. "I don't know how much longer she can hold on."

I grabbed Potter's shoulders and forced him to look at me. "I need to know what you saw. I need to know what she's going through because of me!"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You'll just make yourself feel worse or leave the safe house in some misguided attempt to save her. It's his way of goading me to facing him unprepared. If we let this vision sway us from the plan, then he wins. We can't let him win, Mr. Malfoy!"

I ignored him and stared into his eyes, ready to read through his thoughts and sort through his memories until I found the vision and could at least have the comfort of seeing for myself that she was still alive. If she was alive, there was hope yet.

My attempt at Legilimency was disrupted as he broke eye contact by wrenching his head to the side. "No, not that way. If you have to see it, don't make me relive it!" I let go of him, startled. He picked up my teacup which had somehow been overturned during the previous few moments. Taking out his wand, he put it to his temple and pulled out a string of glowing matter. He dropped it into the cup and handed it to me. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about it after you've seen it."

I stood up, cradling the cup like it was a precious treasure. Potter lay back down on the couch and faced away from me. "Thank you," I whispered.

I took the cup into my room and shut the door. Sitting on the edge of my bed with the swirling memory inches from my nose, I had a moment of doubt over whether I should really watch it. Even if it was just to see her face and assure myself that she was alive, it was worth it, right?

I quickly touched the tip of my nose to the memory before I talked myself out of it. With that, I was pulled down into Potter's memory of the vision.

She was kneeling naked on the floor at the foot of a huge and elegant four-post bed. Her hands were tied behind her back and around one of the legs of the bed. Her hair fell over her eyes, obscuring her face. Like Potter said, she looked physically unhurt.

She had been crying. The blood red carpet was slightly darker where her tears must have fallen. She hiccupped and sniffled. A small moan escaped her lips as she leaned as far forward as her restraints would permit and started crying anew.

"Have you quite finished your little hissy fit?" a dark voiced asked from behind me. I whirled around to see Voldemort sitting in a chair watching Hermione. Her answer was a high wail as she sobbed harder. He got up from where he had been lounging and stalked over to her and grabbed her hair, forcing her to look up at him. "Enough," he ordered quietly, "or another round of the Cruciatus."

"Y-y-you think your th-threats scare me?" Hermione rasped out. "That when you t-told me, I'd f-f-finally become obedient? I don't care anymore! You took away my only reason to live!"

"You die when I say so. After I am done with you, I will grant you death."

"My body may still be alive, but you effectively killed my soul and mind when you killed… when you killed…" She couldn't finish her sentence through the tears. Merlin, who had died that the Order didn't tell us about? The Weasley boy perhaps?

"Fine. I only need your body to lure Potter. Your soul and mind are of no importance to me anymore. Perhaps breaking your spirit will prevent you from attempting one of your foolish Gryffindor plans again. There's no need to escape now that the reason you've been trying to escape is disposed of." He cut her ropes and laid her back upon the bed surprisingly gently. "Lucius died heroically with your name on his lips, if you cared to know."

Me? I was the dead one that she was sobbing over? Of course he would lie to her to get her to cooperate. The swell of pride I felt when I heard that she had been fighting to get back to me was destroyed by the realization that she was falling apart over fake news. All I wanted to do was reach out and touch her. Let her know that I was alive. That I was ok. Instead I could only watch helplessly as the memory continued.

Voldemort loomed over Hermione on the bed. Her sobs had subsided into hiccups again. She rolled over and curled up into a ball, exhaustion overtaking her.

"Potter's mind is very open tonight and I'd like to take advantage of that, my sweet," Voldemort whispered into Hermione's ear. "Give him a good performance to watch." His body covered hers.

As he started nibbling down her neck, Hermione's eyes snapped open. "No, Harry!" she called out. "Don't you dare come! I'm fine… I'm…" Her shouts were cut off as Voldemort roughly covered her mouth with his.

I pulled out of the memory as he leaned back to pull off his robes. I didn't need to see that. I didn't need to have that image forever burned into my mind.

I threw the cup containing the memory against the wall. It was another night of no sleep and staring at the ceiling.


	29. Chp 28: How it all Ended

Potter and I were the first ones up the next morning. Both of us looked terrible due to lack of sleep. We sat at the table, sharing a pot of tea and thinking about the vision.

"I'm surprised that you didn't run off to help her after watching the vision," Potter said quietly.

"I'm no good to her if I am actually dead."

"True." 

"Why didn't _you_ rush off to save her?" I asked.

"Like I said last night, we need to keep to the plan. Just another day or two and she'll be back with us. Besides, you heard her tell me not to."

Severus entered the living area and went straight to the simmering potion as he'd done every morning. He stirred it and then poured a small amount into a vial. "Are you ready to try this, Potter?" he asked as he held the vial up in front of him.

"As long as you don't think there's too much of a chance of me dying, then yeah. Let's get it over with." Potter grabbed the vial and looked at it apprehensively.

Severus sat down at the table with us. "First, I want you to just put a drop on your skin somewhere." Potter carefully poured a small drop onto the back of his hand. "Any burning, itching, or other discomfort?"

"No."

"That's a good sign. Drink the rest."

"A good sign? Were you expecting it to melt my hand or something? And now you want me to drink it? Really?" Potter shouted in a high, squeaky voice.

Draco's door burst open and slammed against the wall. He ran across the room and dropped into the remaining chair, staring intently at Potter and the vial. "I can't believe you were going to do this without me," he muttered. "Well, come on, Potter. Drink it! I want to go back to bed!"

Potter stuck his tongue out at Draco and swallowed the rest of the potion. He made a face at the taste. We all looked at him expectantly. "What?" he asked. "Were you actually hoping that it would kill me?"

"This is a really good sign," Severus said, plucking the empty vial from Potter's hands. "I can have the rest of the potion done by tonight. You can drink it in the morning and be at Gringotts by the time it opens." He moved back over to the cauldron and started working on the rest of the recipe. Potter joined him.

Draco went back into his room looking disappointed. I sat at the table with one thought on my mind: I was so close to getting Hermione back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We woke up early the next morning so Potter would be set to go in time to get to Gringotts by the time it opened. With a slight look of panic, Potter took the finished potion and Narcissa's old robes and went into his bedroom.

A couple of minutes went by and I was starting to get nervous that something went horribly wrong. Finally, my wife's voice came through the closed door. "Well, I look utterly foolish."

"Get out here, Potter. I can only expect you'll have an hour before it wears off. You're wasting time!" Severus barked.

The door opened slowly and Narcissa stepped out. Potter looked and sounded exactly like her. Except for the awkward way he moved about in her body, I wouldn't have known the difference.

"Mummy!" Draco yelled teasingly.

"Ugh. Stop it Malfoy," my wife answered. Potter picked up the bag containing the key to my vault and stumbled over toward the door.

"Malfoys don't slouch, Potter," I informed him. Narcissa's face frowned, but her body straightened up. I shuddered. "That's eerie. You pull off her annoyed look so well."

Narcissa's laugh filled the room. "You think this is weird for you," Potter said, "think about how weird this is for me! I'm a bloody woman for Merlin's sake!" Potter opened the door and looked back at the three of us one more time. "Wish me luck! Hopefully, the next time I see you, Voldemort will be dead and I'll be bringing you back to Grimmauld Place where Hermione will be safe and sound."

"Bye, Mummy!"

"I hate you, Draco." The door shut behind Potter. I heard his soft pop of Apparition and then the yard was empty and silent.

The three of us looked at each other. Severus looked mighty pleased with himself. "I am a genius," he bragged, "and if Potter doesn't fuck this up, then I am going to make millions off this potion."

Waiting for news was hard. I didn't expect Potter and the Order to raid the manor that night. I knew it would be a better idea to wait to the following day, but it was so hard sitting in our little safe house and having no idea what was going on. Did Potter even succeed at Gringotts? Were the papers still there? Did the Order's plan for raiding the manor go awry? We had no idea and no way of finding out.

The three of us waited for two days in tense silence. Draco immersed himself in his studies. Severus went about writing up the paper on his new potion so he could submit it to the Potions Department at the Ministry when he was officially cleared of all crimes. I was left alone to stare into the fire since I was likely to snap at anyone who disturbed my silent thinking.

After the second day, a subdued Kingsley showed up at our door. His appearance was both a blessing and a curse for he brought us good and bad news.

The good news? Potter was successful. Voldemort was dead. We were free of our master. And Hermione was safe. She was resting at Grimmauld Place surrounded by her friends. She was doing well considering what she had been through.

The bad news? The body count. So many of the Order members perished during the raid on Voldemort's manor. Many Death Eaters did, too. My wife was among them. That hit Draco hard. He retreated to his room so we wouldn't hear him cry. I did grieve over Narcissa's death, but, honestly, even though she was my wife and the mother of my child, I couldn't bring myself to care as much as I should have.

The worst news? Several Death Eaters managed to escape the scene. This included my sister-in-law, Bellatrix. The Order didn't feel it was safe for Severus, Draco, and I to leave the safe house yet. We were to stay there until the most dangerous of Death Eaters were rounded up. I couldn't leave to be with Hermione and the Order didn't want her coming to the safe house to see me. We were to be separated still for an indeterminable amount of time.

Kingsley handed me a letter from Hermione, apologized for the fact that we had to continue to hide, and left. He would return when it was safe for us to return to the real world. Would it be days? Weeks? Months? A year? How long did I have to live with only a short letter from Hermione to sustain me?

_Lucius-_

_They won't let me come to you. They won't even tell me where you are. I hear you are safe and in good health which is such a relief to hear since he told me… I can't even write it down. It nearly destroyed me to think that I would never see you again. I held on only to make sure Harry was successful, but I wanted to give up every day._

_Kingsley is leaving now to tell you that Harry was successful. I only have time to tell you to stay strong, be safe, and not to give up hope that the day will come when it will be safe for you to leave the safe house. Know that I will be here when you are freed. _

_Harry told me that you said you loved me. I knew you were capable of love._

_Read this every day. Gain strength from the fact that I love you, too. We _will_ be together._

_Kingsley is getting impatient with me. I have so much more that I could write but if I want you to get anything from me, this will have to suffice._

_I love you. I will wait. No matter how long it takes._

_Yours,_

_Hermione_

AN: As you've probably figured out, I'm not big on author's notes. But we are coming to the end of our tale and I'd like to thank every one of you who has read, commented, added it to your alerts, etc. This is my first fanfic and the praise, constructive criticism, and kind words you've reviewed with makes it all worth it. I extend an extra special thanks to those who reviewed multiple times (sometimes with every chapter!) – you know who you are.

So one more chapter and it will all be over. But don't fret! I will continue with my fanfic "Thinking" that I started like 2 months ago but put on the back burner to finish this fic. I also have a couple of one-shots in the works. Look for my author name and stay awesome, my friends.


	30. Epilogue: How She Saved Me

It was said that Bellatrix, the last free Death Eater, had been backed into a corner by no less than eight Aurors before giving up. She went to trial and was sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss. Her soul was sucked out on a rainy Saturday morning. I walked out of the safe house the day after on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It had been seven months, one week, and four days since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort.

Kingsley came late that Sunday morning with the good news. As the new Minister of Magic, he also came bearing full pardons for the three of us so we could enter polite society with clean slates. My manor and all my possessions were fortunately not going to be caught up in some legal battle over my past alliances.

I scrambled to collect my possessions from all over the house and was waiting impatiently for Severus and Draco to join me outside so we could Portkey to my manor together. I was disappointed that the Portkey would bring us to my manor and not to Grimmauld Place where Hermione was. Our safe house must have been quite far from England if we couldn't just easily Apparate there.

We landed on my front lawn, which was surprisingly well-kept. I expected my manor to be in disrepair after being gone for so long.

Severus Apparated directly to Hogwarts from my front lawn. He hoped to find that he still had a job, even if it was just as a Potions professor again.

Draco and I entered the front hall. Again, I was surprised that everything was clean and in order. Even the things that I had placed into my Gringotts vault when Hermione and I were planning on fleeing were back in their original spots. It was like I had never left.

"The wards are still down," Draco commented absently.

"I guess we should put them up," I answered with a sigh.

As much as I wanted to rush to Grimmauld Place to see Hermione, putting the wards up was important. It would take five minutes and would ensure that the manor was safe. I found myself feeling a little paranoid being out in the open after so many months of living in a heavily warded safe house.

Draco and I stood back to back and reconstructed the wards that had been up before. As we finished the incantations, the wards alerted me to the fact that we weren't alone in the house. The hair at the back of my neck prickled in fear. Had one of the lesser Death Eaters that the Order deemed not a threat found his way into my house?

Draco, aware of our predicament, nodded over to the closed library door with the light of a fire flickering through the cracks around the door. We sidled over, put our backs against the wall, and blasted the door open. Simultaneously, we whipped around to face the room with our wands at the ready. The room was empty, but our clamor caused movement upstairs.

Silently, we made our way back into the foyer and pointed our wands to the top of the stairs. After a few moments, a head popped out from around the corner of the upstairs hallway. At its appearance, Draco snorted, put his wand away, and disappeared into the house.

I stood transfixed at the bottom of the stairs as Hermione gave a little squeal of happiness and flew down the stairs. She stopped on the last stair, suddenly unsure. Still, I could only just stand there and stare at her.

"I hope you don't mind," she said nervously, "I've been living here for weeks now. The House-elves helped me get the manor back together for you. You don't mind, do you? Lucius? Say something…"

I slowly pocketed my wand and reached out to touch her face. Her eyes fluttered closed as I traced my thumb down the curve of her cheek. "I've missed you so," I whispered. "I'm having trouble believing this is real."

Her hand covered mine. "It's real. I'm here. You're here." She opened her eyes and stared into mine.

I pulled her off the last stair and held her against me. Her lips sought mine and we kissed. It was slow, languid, exploratory. After so long, it was like we had to rediscover each other. Heat blossomed through my chest as I realized we never had to part again if we didn't want to.

I broke off the kiss to reassure myself that it really was her and I wasn't just imagining it. Her eyes were moist with emotion as I ran my hands over her face and through her hair again and again. I couldn't get enough of her. It was like I hadn't breathed in forever and my body couldn't get enough of the refreshing oxygen that was Hermione.

"I love you, Lucius Malfoy," she murmured into my chest as I crushed her to me again.

I kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too. I could never find the words to tell you how much I love you."

"Just hearing it from your lips is enough for me." She pulled back to give me a dazzling smile.

_One Year Later_

A piercing wail woke me up. Hermione shifted next to me and I felt the bed dip as she got out of bed to pick up the infant that was crying in the bassinette across the room. Our son instantly quieted as he was picked up by his mother and brought into our bed. Hermione settled him between us. He gave one more little, pathetic whimper before drifting off to sleep again.

"Shh, Thomas," Hermione cooed as she curled around him.

"Have you finally settled on Thomas as the name or are you just trying it out?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

"I like Thomas. What do you think?"

"It's ok. I just don't like your reasoning behind naming him Thomas."

"Well, if it weren't for a certain Tom, then we wouldn't have gotten together to have our son," Hermione retorted, leaning over to place a soft kiss on my temple.

"Yes, that's true, but there's no need to name him after that certain Tom."

"I think it's a nice way to bring our story full-circle," Hermione said as she laid her head on my shoulder so our bodies made a cocoon around the baby. "We get a chance to raise this Tom in a loving, happy household and see that he becomes a good person."

I sighed. "It's morbid and Voldemort was a part of our lives that I'd rather forget, but you know I can't deny you anything."

"Did you hear that, Thomas? Daddy let me get my way again." Thomas yawned and stretched in his sleep.

I stroked Hermione's hair and then laid my hand at the top of my son's tiny head. "You should get some sleep before his next feeding," I suggested.

"I can't sleep."

"All new mothers have some anxiety the first night they bring the baby home…" I started.

"No, it's not that. I mean, it's part that, but I don't want to close my eyes and wake up to find this is all a dream. I want to lie here with my husband and my baby and just bask in my happiness." She leaned up on her elbow to look me in the eye. "I am ever so happy, Lucius."

"Me too." I settled her back down against my shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

And I was. I still am. I don't think I could be happier. My darkest moments brought the most amazing person into my life. My mistakes brought me to the light. Hermione rebuilt my soul and gave me the greatest gifts of all: love and the ability to love back. She also gave me Thomas. And later she gave me Bella (who Hermione insists is _not_ named after Bellatrix, but after the reason behind Thomas's name, I am not so sure…).

Would I change anything in the past? I wish I could change some things, but I don't know if I'd actually go through with it if I had the chance. Because who knows where I'd be without the bad choices I have made? No, I wouldn't trade my downfall for anything in the world. It got me to this moment. It got me here.

_Fin._


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